Their Sanctuary
by Jahaira
Summary: Sorrow, hate, and regret can truly crush a soul. Anna of Avstand and Elsa of Arendelle know this harsh lesson first hand. Underneath that, they have more in common than originally thought. Being separated by the sea, what will happen when these two souls finally meet? Will they find peace in one another or will their demons blind them to their sanctuary? Elsanna. Power!Anna AU.
1. Ch 1: Night

**AN: *Peeks out***

**First Chapter of my first story that's sort of a prologue. Kind of nervous but hoping some people will enjoy this. Next chapter will be posted next week... hopefully. Reviews and critiques are welcome; flames are not. I warn any flamers that I do own a fire-extinguisher. **

**Then again, I don't really know how this will turn out to be. Still, you are warned. Oh, and this:**

**Disclaimer: Sadly, Everything belongs to their original owners and I just put them together.**

**Now, without further ado... Enjoy.**

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Chapter 1: Night

Through the darken air of the closed-off quarters, a sigh echoed off the wooden walls. That quiet, yet mournful sound seemed to slip out from the deepest bowels of a beautiful waif of a woman sitting among the sheets of the lone bed in the chamber.

_Anna... what, in hell's name, are you doing?_

The lone thought bounced through the girl's head in desperation; trying to make its master see sense. The beginnings of a migraine could be felt by her as the desperate thought continued its clamour. Fingers slide through auburn-shaded hair to rub at the temples, hoping for the pain to melt before it truly hinders her trails of thought.

For it was only in the darkest hours of the night, where she believed that even the gods' eyes could not penetrate the darkness, did she delved deepest into her own being.

_How many lies are they spitting to lure you into war? It's too easy to be true. Where's the hidden snare, the concealed dagger? I must remain vigilant…must not allow myself to get comfortable. Always aware, emotionless. Never hesitate._

Her code, her mantra, and her lifeline repeated itself for several long moments. Its echo has long become a reassurance to the girl, and its old tune slowly relieves the pain in her head. After long moments pass, she retracts her hand and rests it upon her knee. With the temporary clarity, she continues on with her thoughts.

_No…I have not forgotten. I am always careful in my searches. I am positive that nothing is out of place nor left behind. No loose shackles to bind me with…nothing to hurt me with…not again…I am always careful._

Anna has acknowledged ages ago that her mind was not the typical state of other girls her age. She knows that she should very well be chained in an asylum for the disjointed and erratic thought patterns that she often has received.

_Hmm, as if stone can contain me._

If a lit candle had been placed into the room, its light would reveal a peculiar sight indeed. A beauty that has seen no more than nineteen summers, though the expression on her face makes her appear older than she is. Her sleeping attire resembles the clothing of a young boy; a simple cotton long-sleeved chemise and cotton trousers.

Even the way she sits is quite odd; as she sits with her legs crossing one another and her hands resting on her knees. Her back is ramrod straight and long red locks flow freely down from her head. Her breath comes and goes evenly from a surprisingly toned chest hidden by the fabric, and her chin is tilted down. Sprinkles of freckles that appear on her sun-kissed skin create constellations which disappear under the clothing.

A sparkle emits in the dark. A silver chain could also be seen disappearing into the cloth around her neck. The only article of jewelry she will ever allow herself to wear.

However, the most disturbing, and yet mesmerizing feature of the girl lay within her eyes. The colour of them resembles the hue of sea water at mid-day… at least, for now. The girl has often found irony in the fact at how like the sea in which her eyes behave.

It is unknown to her the amount of hours she had spent in her life looking at mirrors into her own eyes… to see the hues of her irises shift and change. Just like the ocean tide. One morning, she may awaken to have chips of arctic-blue ice, yet rather rarely. Another day, she may have eyes with the delicate green shades of algae. Most times, she merely stares into the depths of her own teal sea. Knowing why and how this came to be, she never questioned it, merely accepting the quirk.

Now, her eyelids shield those orbs behind the thin cover of flesh. Even if she did not, those eyes would be useless in the darkness of her quarters. Anna was many things, but even she had her limits. Nevertheless, the darkness does allow the other senses to expand while sight is laid to rest. Ears are filled with the crashing of the ocean waves. Nostrils smell the salty breeze coming from the open porthole, while the buds on the tongue taste the remnants of her earlier meal. The lithe frame feels the creaking and rocking of the great wooden vessel in which she travels in.

The remembrance of her current location allows the series of events that had led her here to flow through her thoughts. A bitter laugh is denied release from the girl's throat.

_How far have I fallen, dear Anna? What type of hell will I willingly put myself through to escape the demons that forever hunt my soul? Hope…is nothing more than rope. One clings to it to avoid falling, but if focus is loss… it becomes no more than a hangman's noose._

Despite those words, hope is the same reason that the girl currently is traveling in a warship. The desperation to be proven right swirls in her abdomen and tightens her chest. The rest of her frame remains still, while the inner storm tosses emotions and memories around to create chaos.

However, she knows the perfect way to calm the tempest.

Any sense of time turns in on itself as the girl sinks into her softer memories, in an attempt to remember the peace lost so long ago.

*0*0*

Sunlight filters through the summer air. The dancing water of a nearby creek seems radiant with the sun's attention and the swaying grasses soak up the rays gratefully. The breeze carries the scent of wildflowers across the meadow and through the branches of the bordering tress. Among the flora of the fertile field, the reddish-gold mane of a little 5-year-old girl in a blue colored dress stands out amongst the surrounding greenery. As the young child continues to pick the flowers which she knows best, a deep voice is carried by the summer breeze and enters her ears.

"Anna Marie? Where have you wandered off to?"

"Coming, Pappa!" the reply came from the little girl known as Anna Marie. She gathers the collected flowers carefully in a pocket sown to her dress and went to find her father. A silver necklace around the child's neck radiates in the sun as Anna skips the edge of the quaint field.

A man and a younger boy stood near a wagon on a worn path which passed by the edge of the meadow. Evidence of a relation between the two individuals was displayed in the way that the body structure of the fairly well-built man was just beginning to show in the boy's growing frame. The father and son matched almost in every way: bright blue eyes, straw colored hair, and humble working clothes of the common folk.

The wagon that they stood next to was harnessed to a large female reindeer. Boney antlers crowned the reindeer as she munched on the nearby grass. A young reindeer calf playfully jumped and cantered nearby. The jumps of the calf grew higher and longer as the he drew confidence in the flower-scented meadow.

"Anna, you're so slow. We're gonna be late," taunted the 8 year-old boy. The father in turn gently scolds the boy,"Kristoff, don't tease your sister. We have plenty of time to go to the market." While this goes on, Anna uses the adult reindeer's harness to climb up and sit on the large creature's back, shouting, "I'm ready."

"Did you find what you were looking for?" asked the Father. The little child nodded her head and replied, "Yes, Papa. I found a lot of marigolds growing. They are very good for cuts and making the skin better, right Pappa?"

The knowing smile that grew on the man's face and a slight nod of blond locks was all she needed for a reply. After all, he taught his precious Anna everything he knew about herbs. As her hunger for knowledge expanded annually, she would devour her father's teachings as if they were honey. Regretfully, the man was powerless to his daughter's puppy-eyes, but he drew solace that his little girl would one day be a grand herbalist and make a good living on trading healing herbs for supplies.

"Move over, Anna. I want to ride Marta, too," said Kristoff as he bounded out of the wagon and said reindeer looked up from her grassy meal at the call of her name.

"But you already have Sven to carry you. So, I get Marta." Anna replies. Said calf came running to his young master's side as his name entered his youthful ears that sat near two stubby lumps of fuzz that were his own antlers. The father of the two children interrupted before his son could reply, "Don't argue, now. I'll keep Sven close and Anna, make some room for your brother."

With the dispute settled, the two children were soon seated, clinging to the docile mother reindeer by its thick coat of brown fur.

"Hold on, little ones," called the father as he coaxed the reindeer mother and son from the grassy meadow and onto the pathway towards the market. The air filled with summer's breezes, pollen, and sunlight accompanied the small, odd family as they journeyed forth into the day.

*0*0*

With another sigh, she retreated from the memory. It was these types of memories that soothed the young woman's soul. The only ones that have ever granted her respite from the world's crueler intentions. Though, the temptation to remain is strong, the age old habit of awareness is stronger. A task easier to do as the memory had calmed the worst of her inner storm.

_Getting too caught up in the past, am I? Well, if things turn out for the worst, it is good that I can recognize my family when I get my glimpse of Heaven. Surely, I won't be allowed in after my deeds, but a glance is all I need. Still, I must not look too far ahead. I must allow the future to play out…only then, will the paths of my own and others, be determined._

Her mind's eye then focuses onto her goal, and her destination. The reason for this usually unneeded self-reflection lies across the water which she is currently travelling. The rumours that she has heard and recited a thousand times begin to echo again in her thoughts.

_Born of the coldest winter air… Ice that contains the strength of a hundred men…An impenetrable castle of ice and stone… Perpetual blizzard that she controls… An army containing an array of icy creatures… Unimaginable power and control over Winter itself…_

The array of thoughts emits a chuckle that lacked mirth from the lips of the young woman. As of late, Anna often has had the Snow Queen of Arendelle in her thoughts. The idea always fluttering in her mind. Anna's earlier fascination with this legend has turned to the point of obsession. Questions of the kingdom, the Queen, and the upcoming battle attempt to filter into the mix of thoughts.

_How…how did I miss such a presence? Is she alike to me? How did she stay hidden for so long? Does she conceal her true strength? Will…will she kill me? Ha… Only if Luck was not so cruel of a bastard. Death had taunted me for many years…_

However, Anna pushes these familiar distractions aside for now to focus on her purpose. The reason she sits on a straw-filled bed in a warship is to participate in the coming battle. The same battle that she'll participate in as the key to dethrone and kill her Majesty. In this, her own strength must match the Queen's or be prepared to enter Hell.

To Anna, it's not unknown as to how her secret came into the light. In fact, if the Queen had just screamed it herself to the world, it would have been less obvious.

But no screams were necessary. All souls who have come and gone know that actions have always spoken louder than words. And when actions are let loose to the winds, any listening ear is instinctively drawn to the disturbance. It so happened that the King of the Southern Isles endured the brunt of her explosive unveiling with the loss of his eldest son; making the action's volume deafening to the unfortunate King.

Anna acknowledged the fact that her own reveal had occurred in a similar, but quieter fashion.

Though her current predicament may spell her death, she does not regret what she had done to attract the attention. She'd acted in means of protecting the only people to care for her during her greatest time of need. Anna was eternally grateful for the two souls who had become her sanctuary.

_Those pieces of filth should have never tried…On the bright side, they did apologize._

Images of the mangled flesh that could no longer be distinguished as human flicker through her mind's eye. Dark satisfaction rears up at the memory of carnage by the temporary smirk that donned Anna's lips. The succeeding events weigh those same lips down into a frown.

_But I still wished they didn't have to see. Gerda was heartbroken…Kai, take care of her._

After being found by the royal guard of the Southern Isles and the King himself, it was then that she did find the truth. She had sat very still, listening with a concealed, yet increasingly ravenous hunger as her deepest wishes were confirmed.

After hearing such words from his Majesty, she sought to distant herself from such fantasies, but the truth clung to her in its cold grip. He spoke of the circumstances of the loss of his eldest son to the Queen's wrath. In the end, she agreed to accompany his Majesty's fleet to the Snow Queen's realm and face her. A few months later, here she was.

_But, his Majesty's underestimation of me will be his downfall._

Once again, the temporary smirk returns and fades. Maintaining a façade has become instinctual to the young lady.

Unknown to many who meet her, Anna was far more intelligent than any gave credit to the peasant girl. She knew the games of the affluent quite well. Long ago, she had made it a priority to make the rules and loopholes into her specialties. She merely had added her own rules to the King's game, but this was her own secret and one that will remain so.

_Fourteen days. Just one last morning. Then, all of this will end._

Until the time comes, that bit of information will remain secluded. For now, she knew to follow the drawn lines in the sand with the delicate obedience and grace of a timid hound. Appear to be the malleable creature that they think of her to be, while her mind constructs their ends with her sharpened teeth.

Throughout all of this, the woman's frame remains relaxed, the breathing even, and the senses sharp. The only movements occur underneath her eyelids and the corners of her mouth. But, now she is still. Physically, the strawberry-blonde is the picture of tranquility.

If a candle were truly lit inside the room, no one would be able to tell the tempest hidden beneath the calm beauty. But if one looked carefully, an eye could catch the sway of the smallest specks of pollen on the sea breeze which surrounded the lone figure still sitting on the bed.

Nevertheless, with no candle to dissolve the ink of night and the turbulent clouds shrouding the near full moon, all was hidden. After all, Night was always very skilled at hiding its secrets. A trait that Anna has used to her advantage many times before.

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**AN: So, until next time, Au revoir. :D**


	2. Ch 2: Restless

**AN: Yeah! I updated just like I promised. I will try my best to keep my updates as constant as possible, but if anything major should pop up, I will let you guys know. For now, everything's smooth sailing! Please enjoy and review, so I can make better chapters for all of you.**

**Disclaimer: Sadly, I own nothing. *Sniffles***

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Chapter 2: Restless

Through the darken air of the closed-off quarters, the swishing of fabric can be heard. The continuous rhythm was accompanied by faint footsteps striking a stone floor. These small disturbances that traveled in the gloomy atmosphere originated from a gorgeous specimen of a woman that paced to and fro across a pitch-black bedroom. Agitation emits itself from every pore on the woman's pacing frame.

_You are not ready, are you, dear Elsa?_

The anxiousness caused from that single, malicious thought swirled throughout the woman's body until her entire frame was coiled. Her mind was quite nasty as unsettling her peace became a favored hobby to the organ. An ache developed across the contours of her shoulders. Said shoulders rolled unconsciously to relieve the tautness of the muscles and allow her mind to wander away to other matters. For the first time, she seemed to notice the storm clouds from her window, but her mind strayed away towards another trail of thought. She was grateful for the moon's slumber for on this particular night, the restless woman needed as few as distractions as possible. Which probably explained why a perfectly functional fireplace was currently being unused, though the cold did not seem to disturb the woman's stride.

_It has arrived once more. War. Hmm… he is impatient to take and disrupt the peaceful lives of my people. Honestly… barely two years into my reign and His Majesty of the Southern Isles is ready to covet the souls residing upon my lands. No matter. Before, I was unprepared and naïve but I'm no longer the good little girl. _

During her pacing, she never once tripped or knocked into any furniture despite the non-existent visibility in the room.

_I am the Snow Queen of Arendelle. I am ready… I cannot fail… I must not fail._

The confident sentiments accomplish nothing as the young Queen's anxiety is betrayed by her continuous staccato pacing on the floors. As she paces, her tactical mind races to analyze and strategize a victory from the inevitable battle to come.

_No men allowed in this battle. There are still many of my citizens who continue to grieve from the grave losses of our last encounter. My golems would make an indestructible ground offensive, so aerial support will not be needed. However, psychological warfare always has its advantages. The frozen forge will trap the ships far from shore. _

Steadily, the pacing slows as the strategies continue to create themselves. An upward twitch is made upon the lips of the Queen of Arendelle as her age-old method of calm worked yet again. Strategizing has forever been a balm to the stressed nerves of her body as the act forced her mind from the worst of her imagination. It's no wonder that her favorite game is chess. Outside the stone walls of the castle which housed the woman, a stray gust of wind parted the colorless clouds to allow a single ray of moonlight to filter through. This stream hit the window of the same bedroom where the pale-skinned woman slowed to a walk, thus illuminating the Queen. And truly, the Queen did shine like diamonds.

Her continuing, but calmer pace would have made the thick, white-blond braid sway if not for the hands which held it captive in their grasp. The dainty fingers of a pianist exposed her retreating nerves as they slowly released the braid. The fingers interlaced with one another and settled against the soft silk that covered Elsa's abdomen. The nightdress that clothed the Queen of Arendelle sparkled as the smallest specks of frost caught the light. Her intruding calm made the frost, which formed unconsciously from her earlier anxiety, to shimmer out of existence. The remaining silk nightdress had snowflakes embroidered into the fabric as if to remember their brief attendance in this night.

However, the greatest portrayer of her emotions has been and always will be her eyes. The eyes, which held the clearest specimen of arctic blue ice, staged all of Her Majesty's emotions to the forefront. Queen Elsa has always known that trait to be both a hindrance and a benefit. But she no longer worries as she had already trained herself to close that window to her soul. Being the age of twenty-two, Her Majesty has had many years to practice control. Her etiquette lessons from her childhood days taught her to control her body, but control over the eyes took several years longer to master. Nevertheless, at the end of the 18th winter of her life, she had perfected her mask with much help from the Southern Isles.

Nowadays, only in times of secure privacy could she truly remove the veil without trepidation. The Queen's thoughts now turned towards another route.

_Make one wrong move and everyone will know... Yes, Father. I know… it's entirely my fault. I was too naïve with my secret and I've paid gravely for my mistake. I should have paid better attention, but now, you can rest. Now, I can use this exposure as my strength. Control over the very essence of Winter stretches the nerves of even the most battle-tested men._

Unchecked by the Queen, Confidence begins to slither its reach deeper and deeper to construct an illusion of security around her. A smirk curls the edges of the Queen's lips in satisfaction.

_I am ready. I am the cold personified. No moral power will be allowed to desolate my kingdom. And this time, the fleet was sighted. With no shadows to hide behind, they'll be crushed in the sunlight. I will not be caught off-guard and they have no power over me. Nothing to surprise me with, nothing to hurt me with._

The last thought summons an unforeseen bolt of pain to rip through her chest. A gasp of shock breathes out of parted lips, as arctic eyes are clamped shut. The Queen's body curls and tenses in on itself as it is blindsided by the sting. Arms that previously were relaxed now wrap around the woman's taut frame, while the fingers dug into the fabric of the nightdress.

Another voice, an older voice, speaks out from the depths of her soul.

_Liar…_

Then, silence. The position was held by the body and as long moments of time passed, a single thought turned vocal as it was breathed into the emptiness.

"Olaf…," her voice warps slightly to caress the name. Longing and love are sown into every fiber of that lone whisper. Unfortunately, only the surrounding air and a strange, cold mass upon the floor were present to listen. The clouds overhead shift again to block the streaming moonlight, plunging the bedroom once more into darkness.

Ever so slowly, the frame unwinds itself. The spine straightens, knees unlock, and fingers relax. But the head remains bowed to the floor. More silence follows as Queen Elsa remains standing in the center of her gloomy room. After several moments, the head of the Queen rose. On it, her infamous mask currently covers her striking features. The face of a goddess; emotionless in the darkness. As if receiving a cue, she strides to her bedside table. Even in the gloom, her stride is sure as she collects a robe to cover herself. Opening a drawer, she retrieves a wax candle and a box of matches. Striking the match, a gentle flame came to rest on the candle's wick. The flicker of light cast the room into a warm glow that does not last, since she strides out of the room without a backwards glance.

The large mound, that was previously motionless in a gloomy corner, stretched out. Two points of light glowed softly from the mass's head before dimming after a few seconds. A stocky body padded out smoothly on all four and quietly shut the door with a slender tail.

The pace of her walk remains consistent has Elsa noiselessly travels down barren hallways. She barely notices the sliver of ice that marks a trail behind her nor the odd creature which is currently following her. She knows that no one would dare to be up at this late hour and the ice would melt and evaporate before being seen. Instead, her mind's eye is directed to a specific room. A room that she has snuck into countless times before. A room filled with warmth. A room decorated and protected with sunshine.

Taking a right, she comes upon the hallway. The flame flickers as it casts its light upon the surrounding setting.

Providing its light, the flame continues to dance on the wick from the drafts of the empty halls. The Queen does not move. Eyes vague and features ironed out to betray nothing. Vivid golden paint stands out among the glum blues, embellishing the door. Daylight clashes with nightfall. With a deep breath to steel the nerves, Elsa turns the knob, enters, and shuts the door behind her.

The mysterious presence stops before the closed door. With a near silent sniff at the wooden door, it proceeds to curl up to the right of the doorway. It appears almost catlike with its lazy and docile movements as the heavyset frame lies down and a boulder-sized head rests. Awaiting for the Queen's return.

Knowing that someone is currently residing in the room does nothing to repel the emotion that clings to her throat as the figure lying in bed is cast in light. Not the light from the candle, as the rising emotions unconsciously sent frost to snuff out the flame, but from the roaring fire coming beyond the stone hearth. For long moments, the Queen reverts to a statue, simply watching the rise and fall of precious life in the dim lighting. The light also falls upon the writing desk across the room, the wardrobe against the wall, and the carpet along the floor.

The illuminated walls seem to be adorned with the grace of a 4-year-old child. The reason being is that they were. Well…partly.

The walls of the room resembled a cloudless night sky, but the points of light on the canvas were no stars. Taken with a closer eye, countless suns and snowflakes ignited the walls. Suns and snowflakes of all sizes ranged; the largest being the circumference of a large coin and the smallest being the size of a pebble. While the sun's rays were clearly drawn with abandon, the snowflakes' fractals were precise and steady. Their arrangement has no rhyme or rhythm, but the effect of the clashing elements leaves the eyes of any who look upon them mesmerized.

The currently eight-year-old co-artist of this grand creation lies curled in the bed across from where Her Majesty stands rigid, except for the eyes.

While the statue that was Queen Elsa remains immobile, the orbs of ice seemed to have freed themselves from their stagnant state. The gaze travels across the plush sheets, which became tangled from the kicks of the charge they were supposed to conceal. This exposed the silk-clothed shoulders of a raven-haired boy to the eyes of the statue. The shirt was dyed a light blue and complimented the fair skin that the boy possessed. The ebony hair upon his head stood in tuffs, signifying an energetic day. The face was mostly round with the slowly dwindling fat of his childhood. Lips curled into the faintest of smiles, dimples appeared upon the cheeks from the result of his dreamland.

Long ago, she had acknowledged the fact that his smile was her weakness… her pyre… her salvation.

The face of the statue thawed as previously frozen lips upturned. The rest of the immobile woman continued to thaw until Queen Elsa was able to cross the room to where her beloved laid. Setting down the frost-crusted candle on passing the writing desk, she sat upon the sheets; gracefully so not to stir the dreaming child. After a moment of hesitation, she raised her hand and ran slim pianist's fingers through fleece-like hair. Though, the child is unconscious, the smile just barely widens and he shifts his head closer to the touch.

The orbs of ice imbedded in the Queen's sockets melt and calm as her hand continues its journey through the untamed jungle of ink-black hair and across ebony brows. She counts the faint freckles that settle on ivory cheeks. Listens to every breath that passes from a dainty nose. Feels the small organ that pulses in his chest giving life to her beloved.

She matches his beat, closes her eyes, and drifts.

*0*0*

The setting sun's light barely shimmers through the dense cloud cover to travel across the kingdom of Arendelle. Most of the trees had shed their leaves by now, though a stubborn few clung to their branches. The only greenery upon the land lay within the needles of the northern pine forest, which were currently shrouded in the shadow of the barren North Mountain. Sparrow songs drifted through the autumn breeze, carrying the faint tone of frost. The chill had sent the farmers hard at work to collect the remaining harvest, while the trappers were storing furs and skins like mad. The haste came from past experiences of the cruelty of Arendelle's winter.

The stiff breeze whipped the waves of the nearby forge into frenzy. The energized water leaped onto the shore, beating the boulders into the submission of sand. Beyond the feral water's reach, lay the esteemed Castle of Arendelle. Seated in the heart of the relatively small kingdom, the castle was considered the jewel of the land. The stone gave the impression of invincibility, while being carved into immense detail so that the statues and carvings appear to breathe whenever hey were bathed in the Aurora lights.

The entirety of the outside world was lost to the two beings inside a special castle room, decorating the walls with suns and snowflakes.

"Elsa, help me! I can't reach!" The voice, belonging to a four-year-old Prince Olaf of Arendelle, was currently drawing out an undignified whine. The ebony-haired child strained upon his toes with a bowl of gold paint in one hand and the brush in the other. While carrying his tools, he balanced on a chair that was pushed up against a wall. Apparently, the chair was too short for his artistic needs.

A melodious laugh escaped the lips of a seventeen-year-old Princess Elsa of Arendelle as the antics of her younger brother never failed to brighten her mood. She currently wore an apron that covered her dress that had used to belong to an old maid and nanny, Gerda; who was going to retired soon with her husband. Her sleeves were folded up to her elbows and her hair was pinned back in a tight bun. As she finished her snowflake design, she set down her own bowl (filled with bright blue paint) and brush to assist her inspired brother.

"Alright, but this must be the last one for today. We must prepare for bed soon." Laughter tinted her tone as she crossed the room. Taking a moment, her eyes wandered towards the walls and took in the day's work. The smile widened ever so from the sight.

"Okay, I just need to be a little more taller." The young boy felt his older sister's hands tighten around his waist. Before he was granted his wish, Elsa corrected his previous sentence.

"Olaf, it's not 'more taller', it's just 'taller'." And with a soft grunt, she lifts her brother upwards. Her forearms stretch as sinew and muscle are seen working by the indentions displayed on the pale skin to support the weight of the boy. Olaf's head nods to show his attention to her correction, while adding the final rays to a sun that currently gained his focus. Olaf did not fear falling for he always knew that his sister was strong, no matter what anyone else said otherwise.

"Okay, I'm done!" The phrase was heard after a few moments of the child's work. At this assurance, Elsa gently set her brother back onto the chair.

"Now, hurry and change quickly. Mamma and Pappa won't be happy to see you missing on your sleep."

In a flash of night-coloured hair, the boy hopped from the chair, set down his tools, and was searching his wardrobe for his sleepwear. Elsa politely turned her back to her brother to clean after their supplies. The other reason being was that Olaf had proceeded to change while she remained in the room. She shook her head at her brother's quirks as she closed the lids onto jars of paint and stored the brushes away.

"Elsa…," A knowing smile grew across the Princess's cheeks. Automatically, she turned and opened her arms to catch the child jumping towards her; practice is shown by the smoothness of the movement. She proceeded to carry Olaf towards the four-poster bed. She used one arm to pull back the covers while the other held the precious bundle close. Finally tucked into bed, Olaf allowed the first signs of his weariness to show with a small yawn that flashed small, white teeth. Elsa reciprocated the action (but with a lifted hand to cover her own yawn) as an afternoon filled with painting caught up with the exhausted pair.

"Elsa?"

"Hmm?"

"We did a lot today, yeah?"

"Yes, we did. And it should take a couple more days to finish your room."

"How long is a couple?" A soft chuckle is hidden again by a pale hand.

"A couple is two, so two more days."

"So, we be finished before your birthday?" A hopeful look blooms on the young child's face as if the answer held some great importance. Curiosity tickled in the back of Elsa's mind.

"Yes, why do you ask?"

"Because I want to work on your present." The response is loud and proud. Apparently, the little Prince had done everything within his power to keep the present to his nearly eighteen-year-old sister secretive over the past month. He had even sworn certain servants to silence as they helped in hiding the gift from the curious princess. The King and Queen allowed their youngest child this as long as the servants were made clear to supervise the young boy with his plans.

"You know, you still haven't told me what my present is."

"I can't. It's a secret." He whispers it out as if the secretive gift should be kept away from the walls' ears.

"Aww, not even a hint?"

Before he could respond again, a longer yawn interrupts him. His eyelids flutter.

The pale hand began to weave itself with through the dark locks; tempting the boy's eyelids to become increasingly heavy. A familiar hum began to drift its way to the boy's ears as Elsa sung a meaningless tone that never failed to soothe her younger brother. Before Olaf surrendered to the growing urge, he spoke with a slurred voice…

"Night, night… Elsa…," the last words were dissolved into the air as sapphire eyes slid close. Soon, the silent air was accompanied with light snoring. The pale fingers continued their weaving, while arctic eyes melted with adoration of the only precious soul to calm her. She remained by the bedside long into the night. A gentle smile adorns her relaxed features as she was enshrouded by snowflakes and suns.

She is blissfully unaware of Fate's cruel designs.

*0*0*

The same gentle smile now graces the Queen's lips, as the memory sent a glow through her bones. The moment was beyond perfection. With the two beings, bonded by love and blood, both shared that warm memory. Bliss surrounded and cradled them in an impenetrable sphere.

That is until the voice deep within the Queen's mind spoke out.

_They can hurt him…_

That lone thought summoned the ice into her veins, but not by anger. The temperature of the room falls as fear crawls up her spine. The hand stops its soothing repetition as fear strangles her limbs. The mask returns, so no emotion is betrayed upon her face. However, the two windows to her soul remain wide with fear. After several moments, she regains control. She forces the fear and the cold out and reassures herself. She knows of what needs to be done.

_Not possible. They will not be allowed to step onto my shores. History will not repeat itself… No… Not as long as I'm breathing._

The familiar, double-timbered voice echoes once more.

_And the message…?_

She withdraws her hand, and with a last kiss to her beloved brother's temple, she rises. Elsa snatches the abandoned candle as she exits her younger brother's room; a trail of ice remains from her footsteps. She leaves without a backward glance. So, she doesn't see the ice-crusted carpet or the small shudder that travels through the child's body.

Nor does she see Olaf's concerned, sapphire orbs flutter open to follow her movements as she leaves him in the room that she helped to create all those years ago.

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**AN: Can anyone guess what was following Elsa? First one to guess correctly gets a cookie! So, until next week, Au revoir.**


	3. Ch 3: Grievances

**AN: Hello, again. Another week, another chapter. Review and enjoy. ;)**

**(SORRY: Second Update. My account was hacked by my little sister and she posted the chapter before I could really edit it well.)**

**(Note to self and other writers: Change Password and never tell anyone.)**

******Disclaimer: I STILL don't own anything. I'm just mashing them together.**

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Chapter 3: Grievances

Through the darken air of the closed-off quarters, a hacking cough shot out. The sharp and painful crack of noise originated from a withered old man who sat upon the plush cushions of an ornately carved chair next to a dying fire. Who, currently, was bent over as his attempts at stifling the lancing pain go in vain.

_This…this is it… Isn't it, old Magnus?_

The reality of this solitary thought never failed to terrify him. Even in times when he was enclosed by the recently common coughing fits, the chill of death never escapes his attention. Now, this same awareness resurfaces as the coughing continues. Each exhale of breath is a dreadful shout of agony; lungs filled with mucus and throat parched no matter how much he drinks. The flickering light descending upon the rich silk that clothed Magnus. An expensive, white robe draped over shuddering shoulders, however, he wore no sleepwear underneath the silk. In fact, he had not changed at all. His day clothes consisted of a fitted cotton garment that was untucked from wrinkled trousers. Scuffed leather boots have seen better days and an embroidered military jacket is laid on the back of the chair.

He pulls away the handkerchief that was pressed against his mouth to grab a gulp of air. The nearby fire illuminates the silken threads into a hue of sunset orange. The intricate stitching is brought into detail, displaying the newly designed crest of the royal family of the Southern Isles. Through all the little embroideries that crowded around the crest, the main feature stood out; prominent and menacing. A black escallop outlined in violet. The contrasting white of the handkerchief and the black of the escallop drew a certain elegance into the design on the cloth.

Though, the beauty was lost as the aged man was dragged into another hacking coughing fit. The aged frame shuddered and shook as the wave of wracking pain consumed his chest. While his right hand held the handkerchief to smother the coughs, his left arm was curled around his torso; desperate to stop the convulsions.

_Stop… Get yourself together._

Long moments pass. Only the hacking coughs, the crackle of the flames, and the shuddering of an aged body were heard in the room. Of course, there was no other soul to hear the disturbances in the night. Over time, the man gathers some strength as to still the coughs. Taking deeper breaths, he forces himself to stabilize his breathing. Though the itch in his throat edges towards another coughing fit, he steels himself against it. The rattle of congested lungs does not escape the elder's hearing.

Soon after, he is able to uncurl his battered frame. Hazy grey eyes are drawn towards the dying light. The mind, slow with sickness, has trouble with comprehending the light's death. The consumption of logs and the excess of ash don't register at first. All he sees is the light slowly leaving him. All he knows that he should fear its departure.

_Wait… Don't leave._

Fear intertwines with the confusion. An age-old phobia of the dark rises from the depth of his mind. With a feverish mind and exhausted body, he is unable to combat the growing emotion. A rushed glance about the room does nothing but to cultivate the fear to a greater height.

To anyone else who could have been in the room and if they knew of the elder's fears, they would have mocked the aging man. Called him a child, a coward, a sniveling woman. But, of course, neither out loud nor towards his face. All they would be allowed is a condescending look. Really, a glance would suffice, since too long of a look would guarantee any caught with a swift trip to a guillotine; at least, if they were lucky.

The man was currently within his own study. The faltering light was just bright enough to encase most of the area in dim light, except the furthest corners.

The mahogany flooring glowed amber under the attention of the flames and reflected the light onto other surfaces. Fur rugs turned to splashes of ink and shelves built into the wall housed books that were barely outlined in the gloom. The walnut working-desk, which rested on the far side of the room, reflected a dark maroon, while little baubles and trophies sparkled akin to jewels.

A place of work, order, and security. Well, it was all those qualities, but solely during the day. Night was an entirely different world. With entirely different powers. Dull grey eyes saw a very different scene. Reality warped before the old man. And the vision presented before him immobilized every fiber in his being with fear.

_No… _

The flooring swayed in a sickening manner. The inky puddles of fur were pools of tar; awaiting to entrap any who dare enter. The outline of the books became the outline of iron bars, caging him. The desk transformed into a crookedly built demon; the grain on the wood turned to mangy fur and while two points of light became fire-red eyes, the rest of the clustered eyes belonged to other demons whose forms remained secluded in shadow.

Thump-thump

Thump-thump

Thump-thump

Breath became ragged and shallow as pure fear trickled into his veins. Magnus was unable to move as two points of light pinned him. Even his very thoughts seem to freeze. Immobile as he was, he could do nothing but stare at the creature who lusted after his soul. His own grey orbs locked onto two luminous eyes, which in turn locked onto the man. They glittered and sparkled with hellfire. Crouching on all fours, the wiry muscles of the contorted body twitched in anticipation. The rhythmic movement of a breathing chest was nonexistent. Unholy strength seeped from the demon's presence as the eyes delved deep into the man's soul. Exposing every flaw, and then devouring such imperfections with sinful pleasure.

Thump-thump

Thump-thump

Thump-thump

The beating of Magnus's heart echoed ever louder within his own ears. Fueled by the ever-growing terror, its beat increased in an attempt to escape from the demon. As if it could only pound its way out of the cage of bone and flesh, could it be safe to flee. Sadly, with its weak pounding, all its struggling did nothing but to deafen Magnus. This same terror furthered numbed and swirled the already ill man's thoughts into greater chaos.

But he still could not move.

The pupils of the grey eyes dilated as more of the creature became visible. Scars ranged around the crumpled frame. Old and faded, each told a tale of a failed attempt at vanquishing it and a healthy lunch of the past souls who dared to face such a horrendous creature. The fur was caked with old blood, but fresher volumes of the liquid sleeked the fur into an inky black and dripped onto the swaying floor.

The demon turned. Foxlike ears were folded back, with the frayed skin visible upon them. Its snout was doglike and scars littered its entire visage. Burns stretched across the skin, wrinkling and chipping the abused features into a black husk. Despite the battered appearance, the eyes glittered with an untamed pleasure. A hellish grin stretched open. Razor like teeth were cleaned as a blacken tongue swiped across them hungrily. The same hunger reflected among the numerous eyes and resonated within a growl that harmonized from the bowels of the gathering. A silent step was taken towards the frozen man as the emaciated creature succumbed to its hunger. The rest of the gathered eyes remained in their place as only two scorching orbs gained ground.

In an instant, Magnus realized this fact and reacted with primal terror. The aged body shot from chair with a swiftness born from fear-driven adrenaline. Knees bent to kneel and arms, weaken with age, reached for salvation; the dying flame.

_No…Not yet. Please, stay. Please!_

The instinctual fear continued to corrode his mind as a glance back exposed the creature advancing another step. Frantic eyes searched for a way to save the light. Being consumed in terror, several glances had to be taken in order to notice the charred logs were no longer suitable in sustaining a healthy fire. Nearing a fit of panic, he lunged towards the stack of fresh logs that lay next to the hearth. Clutching three against his chest, he chances another glance behind him. And regrets it.

The demon now stood at the center of the room. Taking another step, more blood slides off of its ragged coat. Each serrated edge upon each individual tooth was now on display for the horrified man. And they were coming ever closer.

In a bout of hysteria, the logs were haphazardly tossed into the last smoldering flames. To his horror, the flames slowly lapped at the newly added fuel, and he could still sense his approaching death. Grabbing for a previously abandoned bottle of fine wine, and with an instinctual bellow of fear and defiance, Magnus smashed it into the logs.

With a shatter of glass, everything exploded.

Magnus was thrown to his back as a wave of heat and flame expanded from the fireplace. His eyes were screwed shut, yet light was still able to penetrate through the lids. The world that consisted of shadows disappeared in the explosion of white light.

The outburst of hot air also push out the accumulating ash, which sparked another coughing fit. He laid on his side, curled up like a frighten child as his frame shook from the strength of the coughs. Inhaling deeply, he took less time to gain control over his breathing. Over the sound of his harsh breathing, his ears are only filled with the soft roar of a healthy fire. Curious, he cracks open an eye and tilts his head to observe his surroundings.

Nothing was out of place. The mahogany flooring was stable and glowed once again. The inky, fur rugs now attain an outline of their original colour. Each book upon the numerous shelves sat at the ready as did the walnut writing-desk. No bars, no traps, and best of all, no eyes.

_They…They're gone. For now._

While controlling his breath to stop another coughing fit, he moves his arms underneath himself and pushes. He pushes himself into a sitting position, but is too weary for anything else. The fading fear-induced adrenaline leaves him feeling twice age; which is quite high as it is. Unable to gather enough strength to return to his previous seating, Magnus leans on the stone hearth with his arms limps and his legs drawn towards him. His gaze is drawn onto the now healthier fire; onto its unrivaled expression and life.

_We are complete opposites, my friend._

How true that thought was. The rejuvenated tongues of light expose the broken shell of what use to be a grand specimen of a king.

Being present for seventy-five springs in his lifetime certainly takes its toll. Every exposed patch of skin is wrinkled and rough with age. The whitish grey hair only retains traces of brown; a hint of what colour his hair possessed before time robbed it. A muscular frame of a trained warrior has depleted into useless flabs of flesh.

Despite the cruel nature of Time, the abuse seeps deeper than that. Grey eyes are not dull with age; the grief is too noticeable. The shoulders are weighed down with past mistakes and misfortunes. Hands that used to hold the lives of hundreds can barely lift to clean off the now soot stained robe. Instead, they clench themselves onto the designed handkerchief with a strength that belied the old gentleman. His thumb runs over the black escalope, caressing the design. A glance reignites the purpose of the sea's creation. Its meaning was precious; scorched into his psyche.

_What had used to be sky blue turned as dark as the grief that consumes my soul. And all because of her._

The dullness of Magnus's eyes cleared. The mist of illness dissipated and the same pools of grey flickered to life. They burned with an intensity greater than the fire they reflected. The inner flame was fueled with obvious hatred. Hatred towards the woman who was a curse upon this earth. Who murdered his first-born. Who dared to tarnish his memory.

_Queen Elsa._

The fire within his eyes increased. The name alone made the sparks fly from his being. Emotion flooded through his veins; hate, anguish, depression, loss, and fear combined into a concoction of a poisonous vendetta.

_Oh, she will pay. She will suffer for ever being born as perverse as she is._

Magnus still remembers the rumours. So harmless at the time. Whispered out throughout the lifetime of the Princess-turned-Queen of Arendelle. How during the morning after her birth, frost clung to her crib. Her complexion was forever as pale as freshly fallen snow. How her mere presence sends shivers through the hardest of hearts. How, on her eighth year of life, the castle excluded half of their trusted servants and closed itself towards the world but, more importantly, towards its own people.

Magnus was always a strategist. He always had a mind to decode and to solve the trickiest of circumstances. He had to be; being a king and all. Imagine the speed of the gears in his head once he had heard of the kingdom's sudden isolation and unemployment of many of the royal family's best servants.

_Agdar seemed to forget that a king must always be generous to those in need._

And for being the gracious king that he was, he invited most of the servants to the Southern Isles to work for him; all travel expenses paid by his truly. All who chose to move towards the Island Kingdom were employed into his household and their families were given financial security under his reign. He can still remember the gratitude in each individual's eyes. This same gratitude he later uses to learn the secret of Arendelle's heiress. But, of course, he didn't believe their words. They were too outlandish and fictional for the practical mind that was housed inside his skull. Being taught to never fantasize, he let the matter disappear from his thoughts. By that time, he was a father to six of his now thirteen sons. The management of a growing line of princes and of a growing kingdom gradually pushed the matter to the back of his mind. And later on, out of it entirely.

Only years after did the same fickle matter resurface with the news of the castle doors' reopening and an arrival of an invitation for the Princess of Arendelle's eighteenth birthday. The exposure of the reclusive royal family was what captured his attention the most, and what surprised him the most was an addition to said family. The birth of the second child had gone unannounced, and information was scant at best; a son under the age of ten. Nothing more was known.

_The young boy… most likely curse. He does share his wicked sister's blood._

With the celebration being held near the beginnings of winter, all countries sailing in would have had a particularly tricky time with the sea's temperament. There was also the problem of the inability of leaving Arendelle due to the timing and the kingdom's location being favorable to freezing the sea ports. However, it turned to a moot point as the royal family wrote of providing quarters during the winter for any traveling party who were unable to safely return to their homeland.

At the time, Magnus himself was sorting out a situation regarding pirate ships disrupting trade among the four main islands; Strøm, Høyde, Tålmodighet, and Bestige. Already, food shortages and civil disobedience were spreading within Bestige and Høyde. With the threat of the scoundrels' ever growing confidence in their raids, the king had to remain behind. In his place, Magnus sent his eldest son, Prince Gregard, to Arendelle. Although, the royal family of the Southern Isles was invited to celebrate the Princess's birthday, the King's real hope was that with his son's return came the news of more potential trading partners. The invitations were sent far and wide, and rumours of the attending wealthy countries sparked a great opportunity to expand the Island Kingdom's reach.

_Even then, Gregard only looked forward. Always expanding, growing._

Magnus said as much as he discussed his views with Gregard on the night before his departure. His son readily agreed with him and even added more to the discussion. Truthfully, Magnus forgot most of what they spoke of that night as the memory of his pride swam in. Gregard was a true heir; strong enough to bear the crown, clever enough to retain it, and more than open-minded to new ideas of increasing the wealth of his future kingdom. King Magnus cared for his entire family; however, his firstborn truly made him swell with love and pride.

_Those dreams remained as such, only dreams. Such foolish dreams._

The news reached him a month after his son's departure; in the form of a letter carried by a scrawny messenger boy and written by one of the knights accompanying Gregard to Arendelle. It told of how the Kingdom of Weselton created a great upheaval during the celebration, of the deaths of the King Agdar and Queen Idun at Weselton's hands, and of the Princess's vengeance. The ice that crushed the Duke of Weselton's body was stained red with the blood of his heavily armed entourage.

But all of this meant next to nothing as he read and reread a phrase that made his blood turn cold. That his son was found speared among the forest of icicles. His son - aspiring to great heights, inspiring honestly to others, and radiating the strong future of his homeland - was dead. Was unjustly killed by Princess Elsa's perverse power amongst ice.

He never finished reading the entire letter. Before he could do so, a cold numbness stole over his being; as if the ice wielded by that witch had clung to the message and seeped into his very bones. However, he knew that wasn't the case. He knew that his spirit was beaten and had to retreat into a sanctuary. A sanctuary called unconsciousness. He later awoke up with his face pressed against the fine wood floor. Luckily, he had locked himself within his study before reading the accursed words. It was not uncommon for him to miss a meal or two in the pursuit of his work. Now, the mere thought of food made him want to retch.

The emptiness took so long to take its leave. Only, after the return of Gregard's body, the funeral, and the kingdom's ten day-long moment of silence in respect for his passing did it begin to ebb. And in its departure, hatred infested. Slowly, but effectively. Never a spark or a flicker, nor an explosion of uncontrollable flames.

Just a steady flow of ever increasing heat; alike to molten rock.

Magnus allowed this newfound heat to remain; knowing how powerless he was against such witchcraft. He refused to release his hatred; knowing that the witch who had murdered his firstborn still lived set his vision aflame. But he could not simply declare war on the accounts of such strength that the – now witch-queen contained. So, it rested, festered, and putrefied within his soul. Having no target to attack and with its host clinging tightly, the molten heat continued to swirl within. Weakening a mind, crippling a body, and burning a soul to hell.

This downward spiral continued on for the upcoming three years as the King remained in his stupor. During this, Fate decided cruelty was to be bestowed upon the Island Kingdom; famine, drought, and civil unrest grew rampant among the islands. However, all that was supposed to be handled by his Majesty was left to his personal advisers. Never in history was a king's council forced to run the Kingdom of the Southern Isles while it's King and suitable heirs remained alive; the results were predictable. They were too unprepared, too divided, and too unknowledgeable to successfully rule over the lands. Thus, the kingdom and its people remained in hiatus; neither flourishing into greatness nor lessening towards collapse.

During the autumn of the fourth year, the King's stupor was broken. His youngest and thirteenth son, Hans, had burst into his private quarters, and all but shoved the open document down his throat. But it was his words that, at last, cleared his fog.

"_Father, Arendelle will fall."_

As if in a signal, his inner flame seemed to flash outwards. Clearing his mind and calling towards another unredeemed being; another soul consumed by flames.

The missive arrived from one of the few and far-between colonies that they were able to maintain through-out the years. The prosperous colony of Avstand had mostly free-rein as long as tribute was paid; never once had they missed a payment. Its wealth came from the fertile grounds that produced immense amounts of food; orchards overflowing with fruit, fields alive with vegetables, and grassy pastures filled with fatten venison. Their wealth was so much so that the Duke Emil, also known as Magnus's seventh son, took trading agreements from Corona and Summerland. With such great sources of income, the colony was able to protect itself from invasion with handsomely-paid mercenaries and grand stone forts.

Recently, bandits had immigrated nearby as to take advantage of such lucrative wealth and food. After two months of brazen raids, their stolen fortune had run out. Though, the missive was an on-going monologue from the Duke, the King's trained eye examined the facts.

First, the bandits had interrupted a grand celebration within the colony's main city, Håper, for the beginning of planting the fields was a mere fortnight away – hence the name, the Sowing Festival.

Secondly, these same bandits were more intelligent and skilled than originally thought. Upon their assault, they had neutralized all potential disturbances to their grand theft with archers offing the city guards with precision.

Thirdly, they themselves were killed – as stated within the message, 'a lone woman commanded and the earth obeyed'; leaving hunks of earth in the place of the grand thieves. The leader remained alive, but was suspended in horror as his fellow men were slaughtered around him. Currently, he refused to talk, and the only piece of information that he offered before his self-imposed muteness was that of his own name, Eugene.

Lastly, this woman still roamed free. Not much a surprise when at first glance, but one must remember the carnage that this woman was capable of – the Duke was quite descriptive on that part. However, it was the intervention of the people that stopped her incarceration. Though, seeing the carnage, no blood was actually shed. They had shouted the praises "Protector" and "Savior" mixed in with the hoorahs and hoorays to the 'earth' woman. Thus, she was called a hero of the colony and the celebration for a blessed growing season turned into one of her honor.

That very night, Magnus set sailed for Avstand. He only allowed Hans and ten of his most trusted guards to accompany him on that voyage. His hasty trip was for two purposes: to gain the mysterious woman's alliance and to silence the words of the incident before other kingdom could find her. The ten men accompanied him more for the reassurance to his kingdom and his youngest son accompanied him more for his silence.

_Ah, Hans… so eager for my demise._

Hans was an issue. He had to be kept under close eye.

_The sole trait that he inherited from me was my foolish ambition._

But if the Duke of Avstand truly was truthful, then he had to find that woman. She was his only chance. No sooner did a month pass that Magnus would stand face-to-face with this 'savior' woman, whose identity turned out to be Anna of Avstand, an adopted daughter of mere farmers. No sooner than an hour after their meeting did his deepest wishes were confirmed before his very eyes. No sooner than half an hour after that fulfillment, did she agree to assist him.

But, all of these events are in the past.

Now, Magnus's personally chosen warship (the Vengeance) sails towards Arendelle; spearheaded by Hans and Anna of Avstand. Now, Magnus himself pushed himself off the ground. Now, his back straightened, his legs steadied, and his heart calmed with the assurance of Anna's words to him.

"_Justice is served by Fate, but it's not wrong to assist Fate in delivering out punishment."_

King Magnus's eyes are closed to better remember that scene; the rejuvenation that her promise had done to his being, the thought of Queen Elsa's blood-soaked head, the past pain that had laid within the woman's teal orbs. Oh, his Majesty knows… he knows since he had seen that look in the mirror far too many times. The look of pain so strong as to make its victim wish for death, but weak enough as to not grant such a wish.

But Magnus has long seized that wish for eternal rest. Now, he wishes for blood.

_Grant me my wish, Anna of Avstand, and I will go to the ends of the earth to grant you anything._

That reverent thought was the purest promise ever made by that man. The man, who was raised by his forefathers to utilize every and any means of achieving his goals, now stood by that sole thought with the stability of stone. Figuratively and physically, as he continued to stand; facing the roaring fire. His stance was strong and his eyes were bright at the path his thoughts had taken him.

_If it's my last act on earth, grant me my justice…_

Grey eyes glance back towards the gloomy study showed nothing out of place. The medics had proscribed tonics long ago to keep away the 'hallucinations', but he knew the meaning of his visions. His death was nearing, but…

…_so long as my wish is granted, I will reward you, Anna of Avstand, and you will leave this world with no regrets._

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**AN: If anyone has noticed, the first three chapters are actually occurring in the same stormy night, but at three different places to different people (Anna, Elsa, and King Magnus). At first I planned to lump the three into a gigantic chapter, but decided to just cut them up into semi-long chapters. That's why the first sentence to each chapter is somewhat the same. Don't worry, the fun's about to start and the story will really be moving. So, until next week, Au revoir.**


	4. Ch 4: Warning

**AN: I could tell no one really wanted to read King Magnus's view but he's important. Good news is that he won't be in too much of the story. Its Anna's chapter again and the longest so far. I think I might change the updates into having more than one p.o.v. But I don't know yet. Also, next week I can't post anything. **

***Waves white flag in surrender***

**I know I'm a horrible person who loves good grades on tests more than Frozen, but I swear to have the next chapter up the week after next Thursday.**

**This chapter is dedicated for the broken families left behind after the tragedy of 9/11. In the words of Lilo and Stitch; 'This is my family. I found it, all on my own. Is little, and broken, but still good. Ya. Still good.'**

**Disclaimer: What I could do if Disney was mine... Sadly, its not. **

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Chapter 4: Warning

The everlasting roar of the waves clashed against wood as salty winds propelled the wooden creation of war along the surface water.

After what seemed to be another ageless night to the crew of the _Vengeance_, the storm clouds finally dissipated enough to allow the first rays of sunrise to shine through. Though many clumps of the clouds remained, they resembled nothing of the thundering behemoths that had stampeded during the night. Among the first to admire the awakening sun was Anna herself. The feathery down of the clouds were traced by teal orbs as the cotton white fluff continued to be stained into a bright pinkish hue. She stood on the bow of the _Vengeance_, dressed in clothing quite odd for even a traveling man.

A brown-furred cap adorned her head while her hair was tamed into 2 braids. An ivy-green vest was snuggly fitted onto her form as a more appropriate long-sleeved shirt was fitted underneath the snug vest. The cotton trousers were switched with an older set of leather breeches that conformed loosely to her figure. To end the ensemble, a pair of black leather boots protected her feet and the breeches were tucked securely into them.

Well… that's what it seemed. The oddest accessories had lain hidden under the shirt. Safely out of prying eyes and nosy inquiries, just how Anna had kept them for years.

The first was hidden by her collar and hung around her neck by the silver chain. Only a few inches to the right of her heart, a pendant rested. It was made of stone; bone white in color and shaped into a flat circle that resembled a large coin. On the stone, a silhouette of a leafless tree was ingrained on one side; its branches are bare as they stretch out from the center. The other side showed the same tree, but in full bloom; the branches were hidden as the leaves meshed together indistinctively. The etching's darkness gleamed from the whiteness as the stone gained its warmth from the flesh in which it rested upon.

The second was hidden by her sleeves and it wound itself around her forearms. Starting from her elbows and ending at her wrists, it seemed to look like some thin piece of armor was fitted onto her arms. The idea of armor being fitted onto a woman of Anna's frame may seem farfetched to many, but was nonetheless true. But a closer look shows that instead of metal or leather rubbing against her skin, earthly sinew was clamped around her forearms.

Thin, yet strong, ironwood was shaped into armguards. The grains within the wood stood out like veins as the lightweight armor rubbed against skin. Though, there was no visible enemy to confront yet, the sense of wood comforted Anna. Being stranded on the seas away from the earth irritated her to no end. This was aware to most of the crew as Anna often be seen pacing along the deck. And with the conflict so close at hand, a physical presence of her…talent soothed her during this ending voyage.

No one but Anna and a certain few knew the existence of these 2 treasures of hers and she'll continue to keep it that way for as long as she could. But Anna's thoughts were far from her attire or from the future carnage as she continued gazing at the light bleeding into the cotton-white clouds.

_I wonder if they really do feel like cotton. They look fluffy enough. But judging books by their cover isn't a smart idea, and it's kind of rude. Then again, they're not books. But it could still apply. Can it? Hmm, the colors are changing…_

Unconsciously, Anna relished the freedom of her thoughts.

She had continued long into the night with herself and her thoughts. After rereading plans and strategies for any and all situations that may occur, she had finally reached the end of her internal storm.

She had developed the habit years ago as to find some sense of calm within the turbulent world in which she traveled in. She would fight through the heaviest of her churning thoughts, and would not allow herself to rest until answers appeared or were dragged into focus. However, the relentless journey wasn't in vain. The fruit consisted of Anna's thoughts returning to some semblance of normalcy, if a bit air-headed as well.

As she continued on admiring the work of whichever god that had created such a magnificent sight, she was distracted by the call of her name in a deep accent. Or what a certain old crab had branded her as her name.

"Irish Lass… how's your morning been to ya?"

A middle-age man with dark skin and very short greying hair walked towards her. At first glance, his appearance was a complete paradox; a proper pirate. Complete with loose shirt, gold earring, worn pants, old boots, and two duel cutlasses at his hips, yet he carried himself like a gentleman. The clean clothing was tucked in, shined boots reflected alike to a black pearl, and the weapons sat in their sheaves with purpose. Even the gold in his ear look sophisticated, though Anna could never figure out how it only looked that way on him.

An amused sigh left Anna as an irritated scowl hid her amusement. She had gotten into a routine with the old coot currently approaching her. She knew how to deal with seafood.

"I told you already, you ol' sea-crab, that I ain't Irish." Anna's voice barked at the man. A smile stretched across dark skin as the man began his ritual banter with the strawberry blonde.

"And I told you dat my name's Sebastian Crab, not 'Sea-crab.' I don't even enjoy eating fish," while replying, he leaned his back against the ship's railing on Anna's right. The accented voice was deep with suppressed laughter at the girl's response.

"But to everyone else, you look like a burned crab. I'm just the only one kind enough to tell you," Anna said this while smoothly leaning against the railing on her arms. A smile fought to appear.

_Take that, seafood._

"Ah, Anna, you better be careful with messing with dis ol' crab. My pincers are sharper dhan most," he replied as he placed a hand on the cutlass on his left hip. The move would have seemed threatening, but the light-hearted grin remained on his face, while Anna's eyes shone with a challenge.

"You and I both know that if you tried anything, you really would end up in Louis's big silver pot," Anna quipped back. A hearty laugh escaped from Sebastian as he hugged his stomach. Everyone onboard knew about the cooking incident between the portly French chef and Sebastian. Everyone made fun of the two, but Sebastian took the laughs and laughed back. The pride-wounded chef wasn't as jolly. A few moments had to pass before he could calm his laughter.

"My, my, aren't you sprightly today? What's got you to such a mood? You haven't had your morning hot chocolate yet?" The laughter in his voice was still present as he inquired about her morning. Most who would see this interaction between a young lady and a prim-pirate would look oddly, but this morning routine had happened since Anna's first morning on the seas nearly two weeks prior. The older man would banter against the firecracker almost hourly, so most of the crew had gotten used to it.

"No, Esmeralda made me some hot chocolate and I'm always in a mood when you bug me." Being a master of steering conversation, Anna skillfully changed the subject.

"Where's Ariel? She's usually up by now," With that, her eyes searched the deck but could not find another soul upon the deck, excluding herself, Sebastian, and the raven-haired Esmeralda who was on the wheel. The young red head was usually with Sebastian and thus joined into the banter. The void created from where she usually inhabited was obvious.

A new voice entered the conversation.

"Look up." Anna's head turned to follow the voice that came from the wheel. With a tilt of the head, Esmeralda motioned to the riggings above them. And with a glance towards the heavens above, Anna got her answer. A familiar silhouetted form sways in the sea breeze as Anna recognized the no-longer-missing girl sitting up in the crow's nest. And girl she was. Barely 16 years of age, and she's the youngest on the warship. Though she was far off the deck, Anna saw that Ariel seemed to be petting a seabird. Anna snorted in amusement at the younger girl while a smile tugged at the edges of her lips.

"Somebody's got to nail dat girl's feet to de floor." Anna heard Sebastian mutter with weariness in his voice. Anna knew that Sebastian had trouble with keeping the energetic, young girl safe. But no matter how hard he tried, Ariel would somehow slip away into some adventure. However, Anna was always available to assist a poor, unfortunate soul…

"You'll get the mallet and I'll find some nails?" Anna asked. She heard a halfhearted chuckle as the man registered the deadpanned question.

"Nah," The one worded response spoke more than its length as its tone of old grief reflected the man's descent into a deeper state of thought. Though his appearance is misleading, Anna has known that Sebastian was a very intelligent and deep-thinking man. She had no need to wait for long as Sebastian continued.

"Ariel would probably just find another way out. She was always a free spirit, and always will be…just like her mother…,"Sebastian's voice drifted as Anna observed the dark-skinned man tilt his head down and sink into a heavy silence. She only had two guesses for its cause. One that she knew had haunted the poor man for many years or one that will haunt him for many years to come.

_Come on, Anna. Do something._

It was truly painful to watch the usually energetic, bold sailor turn into a melancholy shell. A musician at heart and a fighter in body, made him stand out among the crew. The loss of the spark in his eyes troubled her. In an attempt to draw him back to reality, Anna spoke once more.

"You worry too much, Sea-crab. Between the two of us, she'll be safe as scallops." Mostly meant as a jest, she knew that Sebastian heard something unintended by the emotion shining among the hazel pools of the roguish man. She immediately knew of the cause.

_Sea-crab, don't y-_

Before she could speak the thought aloud, he moves. The following action occurs over the course of mere seconds, and yet is still able to unnerve her.

The roguish gentleman-pirate straightens up, easily towering over Anna's frame by a whole head and shoulders. Muscles, strengthen by years of blade-wielding and combat, ripple as they are made to submit to the man's mind. A spine, straighter than the ship's mast, is made to bend on command. A head, filled with intelligence and wisdom glinting in hazel orbs, turns down towards the planks beneath it.

The unexpected bow by the normally proud and loud man leaves Anna stunned. Astonishment quickly fades to annoyance at herself, forcing her brows to twitch. She berates herself for the unintended reminder.

_Great, Anna. There you go running your tongue. If I survive tomorrow, I might as well cut if off to stop my damned rambling._

Though Anna had been acquainted with the duo for only the duration of the sea voyage, she knew them quite well. Sebastian's spine only bowed to a superior and such an act was rare. Attaining the pride from his superb sword-wielding and knowledge of other art forms, he was one among a few seafaring men who judged by merit, not gender. Proof existed by the gesture given to Anna; who was decades his junior and a woman nonetheless.

Now, how do you think such a young lady as Anna had earned that privilege? Well…mostly due to her friendship with the spirited red-haired girl currently feeding an avian and the actions that had occurred during the previous storm, Sebastian was in debt to the youth before him.

Another reason being that he was among the few who knew her true strength. A strength that she was supposed to keep hidden. This strength that, in the past, she has used to kill others to conceal its existence within herself. Irritation at the reminder of her slip bloomed in her chest, tightening her breath. Anna snapped out her next words.

"Quit that, you fool!" Eyes narrowed as the teal flared to pierce the man before her in her gaze. He flinched back and the alarm within his eyes had barely quenched the dark maliciousness deep within her soul. Without another word, she left, striding away from the bow of the ship with quick and steady steps. Her arms folded themselves behind her back as she digs her nails into the hidden armguards, desperate to restrain the itch. She closed her eyes; already knowing the deck by heart, she retains her stride.

_Don't you even dare, Anna Marie! Do. Not. Dare._

The nails dug deeper into the wood. It was either the wood or Sebastian's face, and she knew to save her strength for the real fools. However, the itch continued its crawl up her fingers, into the joints, through the sinews of her arms, and settles within her bones. The itch to main, to mutilate, and to decimate had brewed in her being many years prior.

It breathed for over a dozen years. Even now, it spoke to silence Sebastian, to crush him, to allow herself to do so…

These urges did not trouble the young woman. They never truly did affect her. For many years ago, she recognized these darker, disjointed thoughts as her deepest desires. But she has learned to be patient. Has learned to direct this beast into great use.

_Easy, Anna. Steady, don't be rash. We still have much to do. And wasting energy on a friend, even if he is a fool, would make me a fool, too. Just wait. It will be worth it._

Truer words were never spoken before in Anna's mind. She was powerful; much more so than she had lead His Majesty of the Southern Isles to allow for the man's mind at ease will be her trump card, as she had orders to only defend. Not fight, defend. She remembers the words used to placate the old king.

"_It is not the nature of the earth to attack, only defend."_

A sharp snort wrenches itself out of Anna's nostrils and her fingers twitch.

_If only he knew how angry the earth was at man. For man's greed. But, of course, ignorance is always bliss. And let's not forget the King's gift. One thousand men, ready for battle._

That final statement made a shiver travel up her spine. The darkness residing with her being silently agreed with a soft purr of anticipation. And ever so slowly, it presence faded; taking with it the itch that would always precede destruction.

The steps slowed with the fading void and when the last of its presence ebbed away, she reopened her eyes. Dull teal flashed about the deck, and she inferred that she had been pacing around the stern of the ship. And not for long, as a glance up showed the silhouetted form still sitting in the crow's nest.

_And she's still with that bird. I guess she truly can make friends with anyone._

With the sparkle rekindled within the teal, she directed herself towards the ropes. Half way there, she passes by the built-in stables on the ship. A recently new addition; the shelter only housed one creature: a fjord horse.

Said fjord horse now stuck a muscular head out at the sound of approaching footsteps. The rising sun's rays caught the massive horse's features, exposing them in the soft lighting. Its powerful frame was coloured in a stunning tan of sunbaked sand. His nose and the socks of his swift legs were coloured a deep brown. His silky mane was pure white except for a black streak that cut through the middle, while his tail was completely back. Truly, a beautiful specimen of a horse.

Then, she remembered his owner with distaste.

_Shame that he belongs to that spoiled brat. He doesn't even know the jewel he has._

Pushing her thoughts away from a certain fox-faced sideburn-wearing man, she approached the equine with a raised hand to pet the gentle giant.

"Hey there, Sitron. Hey, buddy. How're you doing?" Her voice came out soothing and calm while she scratch his forehead. A soft neigh communicated his delight of the visitor.

"That was a rough storm last night, huh boy?" A snort and a bob of the muscular head was her reply.

"Yeah, it was pretty scary. But you have to admit, that first storm was horrible. We even had to delay the trip for the repairs." A shake of the head and a heavier snort agreed with the woman. The memory of the storm two days into their trip was fresh in their minds. Both beast and woman shivered at the recollection.

"Well, I got a treat for you." The equine's ears perked up at the word 'treat' from the now sing-song voice. Brown eyes trained on a fair hand as it reached into a pocket stitched into the breeches. A hue of orange appeared afterwards. A chunky carrot soon disappeared down the stallion's gullet as he quickly ate the delicious treat. With the stallion being on a strict diet of oats, the fresh vegetable was a welcome change to the equine's taste buds. Nostrils flared as he searched for more carrots on Anna's self.

"Okay, okay. Wait a second, and there we go," and out appeared three more carrots which soon followed the first carrot down the grateful stallion's throat. After the carrots' disappearances, the stallion was awarded with a generous scratch under the chin. Warm brown orbs closed at the gentle touch.

"Sorry, boy. I wish I could stay longer, but I got to make sure that Ariel doesn't break her neck up there." The previously perked ears now fell at the news. Anna could not have resisted a chuckle from the plaintive expression on the equine's face.

"Don't worry, Sitron. After lunch, I promise to sneak some sugar cubes up to you. How does that sound?"

The only reply was for the playful horse to stretch its neck and nuzzle the kind woman's neck as a sign of his appreciation.

An unusually unheard giggle floated out as the fine hairs on the stallion's snout tickled Anna. With a kiss on the nose and gently said farewell, Anna went to the ropes and started her climb up towards the crow's nest.

The climb barley tired Anna as the strength in her muscles and the flexibility of her sinews cooperated in hoisting her up. Towards the top, she slowed her movements as she noticed that Ariel's avian friend rested on the young redhead's lap. Her caution was unneeded as the bird's attention was too preoccupied with the slim fingers that were combing through its feathers.

Ariel's attire was similar to Anna's with the exception that Ariel had a long sleeved coat instead of a vest and she allowed her hair to freely flow in the sea breeze. The soft lighting did wonders as the younger girl sitting with the seabird appeared radiant with a scarlet halo surrounding the peaceful being. Anna spoke softly as to keep the tranquil air.

"Now, who's this handsome young fellow?" Anna's amusement could not have been hidden as she registered Ariel's new friend's appearance. It was a clearly overweight seagull with scraggly feathers and webbed feet. It looked like an absolute house pet and Anna had a good guess at who was spoiling him.

"His name is Scuttle."

"'Scuttle'?" Anna bent down to sit cross-legged besides Ariel.

"Yep."

"Well, it is nice to meet you, Sir Scuttle." Anna reaches her hand out and runs her finger through the surprisingly soft feathers on top of his head. Scuttle leans towards the touch without hesitation. A light silence envelopes the three as the two girls attempt to smooth out the feathers of the tame seabird.

After a long moment, Scuttle rises from his impromptu nest on Ariel's lap and waddles towards Anna. An unsurprised Anna stills as the bird hops onto her own lap and settles down. Anna carefully wraps her arms around the bird. His only response is to rest his head on the inside of her left elbow while Anna resumes stroking Scuttle's feathers with her right hand.

Ariel observes this event quietly for some time.

"You really are great with animals, you know." Ariel breaks the silence. Not a question; it's a statement.

"I'll tell you my secret, if you want?"

The curiosity within the sky-blue orbs answers her inquiry.

_Well, I'll tell her part of my secret._

"The key to any man's heart is good food and an experienced touch," Anna accompanies the answer with a wink. Ariel snorts with mirth and responds.

"But I'm talking about animals."

"The only difference between men and animals is that animals can at least be train."

Before Ariel could respond again, a new voice intervenes.

"It's sad, but true."

Both turn to see Esmeralda leaning against the mast. Confusion crept into Anna.

_What… If she is up here, then who is at the wheel?_

Anna glanced down to find an answer. Though, she was far from the deck, she could still discern the greying hue of hair and the glint of gold from a familiar piece of jewelry.

_Sebastian took over the wheel. Probably to have Esmeralda check on me._

Any further thought on the wheelman's action was stopped as her attention was diverted. The raven haired Gypsy had just strode towards the two with a sway of her hips, a stunning smile, and a gleaming of her emerald eyes. Anna couldn't turn her gaze away. At times like these, Anna did forget that Esmeralda was a year younger than herself.

_Wow…_

"And good morning to you, too." Ariel's quip cuts in to shake Anna from her thoughts. Esmeralda did not seem to notice Anna's blatant stare as she merely ruffles the younger redhead for the sarcasm.

"I'd thank you for the greeting, but I don't think the good morning will last," the solemnness from the normally spirited Gypsy surprised the pair. At the two quizzical gazes trained on her, Esmeralda points towards the eastern horizon.

"Look."

After only a single glance, they needed no more of an explanation. Anna still remembers the pale pink and grey hues of the heavens from her earlier cloud watching. It had reminded her of the seashells that Ariel has strung together to make necklaces for several of the crew; Anna included.

The current colour doesn't revive that memory. How Anna had not notice the change was lost on her. But she is unable to look away. An echo of a warning rings.

_Red sky at night, shepherd's delight…Red sky at morning, shepherd take warning…_

The crimson lighting set the entirety of heaven into a bloodbath. The clouds no longer appeared inviting to the strawberry blonde. Instead, they repulsed her. They mocked her. They bequeath the past and foretold the future to her. The blood already spilt and the blood just waiting to drip from lifeless bodies. She could just feel the flames lapping at the feast, hungry for more.

The cold itch crept back as the beast stirred.

_Gods, will this ever end?_

Anna had not registered that she was trembling until Ariel had wrapped her arms around her waist. She was finally able to wrench her sight away and looked at Ariel. Concerned sky-blue orbs calmed her enough to quiet the instinctual urgings. She encircled her arm around Ariel's shoulders, bringing her closer.

Anna turned her gaze to Esmeralda. She noticed that the raven haired woman was the opposite of herself; as Anna had trembled at the sight, Esmeralda had stilled. A statue of a beautiful Gypsy dancer remained where her friend stood. The only indications of life were the fear in the emeralds and the shaky movement of frighten breaths from her chest.

_No. Don't be afraid._

Anna reached to grasp the stiff hand tightly within her own. Only then did Esmeralda return to them. However, she did not tear her gaze from the blood-stained clouds. Instead she squeezed the hand that brought warmth and a hidden promise.

_I will keep you safe. All of you, who have showed such warmth in this cold world, will be safe._

The three women of differencing ages and origins stood together against the foreboding scene. Two continued to be unsettled by the message, as a sole strawberry blonde had moved on. She knew that it gains no use to worry about the inevitable, so she threw her mind to find a silver lining.

_Well, no matter what may occur, they will be safe. And I'm certain to find my family by sunset._

With an arm around an orphan, a seabird on her lap and a hand clutching a wounded soul, Anna speaks to them. Reassures them. Promises them.

"Don't worry. I'll protect you all. You have my word."

Against the crimson clouds, the words defy the heavens. Challenging them to throw their worst. For in several hours, they will have their opportunity to do so. For they will reach the kingdom of Arendelle accompanied by the bright rays of the afternoon sun. A risky maneuver, but a needed one.

_To fight the wind and sky, I must gather strength. __Sól w__ill empower me. So, brace yourself, Queen Elsa. I am ready. I was born ready. _

_Are you, Your Majesty?_

* * *

**AN: Listening to 'Savages' from the Pocahantas movie inspired this. Also, the sailor superstition is true and is still believed to this day. Personally, I learned it from watching too much 'Deadliest Catch.' Awesome show! For anyone not so familiar with Nordic mythology, Sól is the goddess of the sun.**

**This has a lot of 'The Little Mermaid' references. Can any of you find them all? Your reviews are always welcomed and I write for the enjoyment of others. Au revoir.**


	5. Ch 5: Pressure

**AN: Well, I'm back and better than ever! And I got to say that I pass those tests with flying colors and I had time left over to keep writing! I'm just so happy! :D**

**With all the bragging done with, I present to you my next chapter. Enjoy**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing, but a girl can dream. Can't she? All is owned by original owners; I'm just too lazy to type out all their names. ;) **

* * *

Chapter 5: Pressure

_This message will be short and blunt._

_You must beware. Trouble comes with the approaching fleet._

_Rumours say that the King has control of a power._

_It makes the earth tremble and the trees bow to this force._

_We could not find out any more about this. Secret is too heavily guarded._

_We have suspicion that our cover has been exposed. We're hopefully on our way to you before returning home._

_Forgive us, Your Majesty._

*0*0*

A soft rustle of feather is all that is heard as the sound carries about the room. Said room, is most likely a study from the vast amount of documents laid upon an elegantly made writing desk and the surrounding book shelves that overflowed their capacity. However, those two distinguishing traits of the room are currently ignored by the Queen of Arendelle.

Her Majesty sits herself upon a leather couch which reclines next to the floor-to-ceiling window that takes up the majority of the southern-facing wall. The enormous size of the window allows a grand view of the nearby forge and the well-known harbor. Another function from its size is to allow generous amounts of light to flood in from the sun or the stars and moon; depending on the hour. With dawn having passed an hour before, the room was immersed in light.

Another rustle of feathers draws the Queen's attention away from the message within her grasp.

Resting on the left wooden arm of the couch, a white-tailed eagle preened its feathers. The greyish brown head was twisted around to reach the solid brown feathers underneath powerful wings. A pale yellow beak treaded itself through the delicate quills, eyes narrowed with the concentration needed for such a tender touch from such a muscular frame.

With arctic eyes appraising such a symbol of strength and skill seated not a meter away from her, Elsa's only thought was of something completely off topic.

_Merida is going to kill me._

However random the thought might have seen, it made perfect sense to the Queen.

The particular species of eagle, which one is currently roosting across from her, is efficiently used by the kingdom of DunBroch as messengers. Being faster than any horse-ridden herald gave them a lasting importance for the Scottish kingdom. As the messenger birds easily blended with other wild bird, they are considered a treasure to DunBroch and gain the reputation of being the most indisputable way to exchange messages securely and without threat of valuable knowledge being coveted by double-crossing men.

After all, a well-trained animal only performs to the best of its ability. Any errors are directed to man's intervention. No animal harbors malice within its heart.

This particular eagle happens to belong to a band of mischievous triples: Hamish, Hubert, and Harris. The trio of hell-raising brothers are renowned for their impossible escapes from enemy lines. With Hamish as the brawn, Hubert as the brains, and Harris as the skill; the three have been escaping from trouble as far back as the old fables of them stealing sweets from their nursemaid Maudie.

The trio of hell-raising brothers are also known as Prince Hamish, Prince Hubert, and Prince Harris of DunBroch and as the triple younger brothers of the current Queen Merida. In Elsa's opinion that was where trouble comes in. She breathes out a forced sigh at the possible future consequences that could be forced upon her kingdom.

She still remembers the letter send to the Scottish Queen for the assistance of her three brothers. With an impressive reply for a meeting and a god-awful earful from the colourful tongue of DunBroch's queen, Merida allowed permission for the aid of her brothers. The price for such assistance was the complete knowledge of their assignment. As Merida herself is a blue-blood, she was raised with the practical arts of ruling a kingdom; including how to lie and how to detect lies.

With the gist of the situation spoken of, Merida had accepted the proposal. When questioned on her easy acceptance, Merida replied with actions instead of words. In the 'secure' room in which they had their discussion, the Queen of DunBroch had revealed the room's three secret intruders. She stood to shift the curtains of a nearby window; allowing sunlight to reveal that Hamish had hauled himself into a gloomy ceiling corner, opened the window to reveal that Hubert hung from a rope on the outside wall, and returned to the table they were seated at and lifted the tablecloth to reveal that Harris had tucked himself into the small space. When exposed by their elder sister, the three Princes meekly waved at the visiting Queen. With an ease that betrayed many years' practice, she revealed their hiding places and with of look of mock surrender, she spoke.

"_These wee devils' will find trouble if trouble don't find them first."_

The phrase repeated itself with a mocking clarity within the Queen's head as she reread the missive. With it containing ten sentences and barely covering half of the paper on which it is written on, it was a rather short read. From its arrival, she had lost count of the number of times she had read the short message.

After the impromptu visit into her brother's chambers, she had quarantine herself in her study. Mere moments ago did the eagle find its way to the small balcony outside Elsa's study as the sound of its mighty wings attracted the attention of the royal awaiting inside. The bird's wicked talons pricked her skin as she move the creature inside to study the cargo attached to its legs.

Faced with the implications that the missive held, the Queen's good intentions were barbed with sarcasm.

_Well, I better start praying that their 'grand' reputation has not exceeded them._

Annoyed with the clear lack of information, Elsa stood and swiftly strode to the unused hearth across the room. With a near silent sigh and a twist of her wrist, the paper was incased in frost. Another twist and a soft explosion echoed among the walls. The fibers that had made up the paper were destroyed in a puff of dust. The crystalized shreds floated into the hearth to join the ever-growing pile that already existed and covered the logs within. Other letters have met their end in the stone cemetery. Reaching for a matchbox and the pile of kindling that had lain nearby, a small fire now crackled.

The flames' purpose was to not warm the cold floor, but to completely erase the existence of all the letters that had been sent to her.

_A bit too much of an overkill…_

The low timbre of this thought did not surprise her. Elsa knew how to ignore this particular distraction.

She turned towards the table to observe the documents once more. The vast of knowledge spread before her barely made her flinch. Diagrams of ships, maps of the coastline, and documents from the treasury had been laid before her eyes. The ship diagrams were the freshest designs of the war ships built in the Southern Isles. The maps expelled the location of certain rip currents and vast boulders that often cause trouble for sailing vessel while entering the harbor. Sailors of Arendelle knew them by heart for a reason, so the Queen of Arendelle decided to learn of them, too.

The last set was so graciously sent by the Treasurer of Arendelle as to remind Elsa of the crippling decline of her kingdom's economy. Truthfully, the kingdom could not afford war, as the last winter had torn through them with an unheard of fury. So much so that many of the citizens' believed that the Queen's foul mood had set off the never ending blizzards. A mirthless chuckle passed between the pale lips.

_If only they knew how cruel winter truly was…_

Though the thought certainly agreed with her, it was not her own. It was too low, its timbre echoed through the crevices of her mind. The platinum haired queen turned to the source with an impatient huff.

"You certainly are talkative today, Marshmallow." The words were clipped with annoyance. An equally impatient huff replied from a shaded corner where a creature laid.

As the sun's awakening brightened more of the room, more of the creature's features came to light. The creature took the shape of a thicketed feline or a slim bear; a compact head rested on snowy forelimbs and the back legs were stretched out to expose its impressive size.

Being easily over five meters long from head to a surprisingly fluffy tail, the creature's fierceness was amplified by the fact that it was completely made from compacted ice and snow. Icy dagger-like teeth just barely poke out from under snowy jaws, while two points of light faintly glowed in place where eyes should have been situated. The contours of the shoulders and paws hinted at bear origins while the contours of the head and the long tail revealed more feline attributes.

_And you're hasty today… mistakes can occur…_

Rolling her eyes, she turned her frame towards the beast.

"Nothing will happen. All has been anticipated and all will proceed smoothly. By sunset, the Southern Isles' fleet will be eliminated." Elsa stated confidently. "No collateral damage, no death toll, no worries."

_Overconfidence kills…_

"Them. Overconfidence kills them, while I carry out their ends."

_And Olaf…_

The echo was beginning to resonate too long, interrupting her needed focus. She snapped out.

"Then why continue to argue with me. Watch over him. If I cannot have silence, then leave."

Though the words were spoken softly, the bite in them was not unnoticed. With the command given, the behemoth smoothly rose, padded to the door, twisted the handle with his jaws, and left; all of this occurring within seconds. The only sound was the quiet click of the door as it was shut once again with a slender tail.

Left on her own, there was nothing to distract Elsa from the pounding in her head. A lack of sleep and an excess of stress had pummeled the usual clear-headedness into submission. Forcing herself to focus, she returned to the already memorized information; the weak points of the war ships and the placements of the currents. However, it was not long before the constant pounding forced her to abandon the charts and maps.

_Perhaps I did overdo it._

Rising on weary limbs, she made her way out towards the hall. The continuous strain made it near impossible to think as her steps dwindled into unsteady shuffling. Fortunately, she had lived within these wall throughout her entire life, thus she had a lifetime to memorize the stone corridors. Any other day she would have made her way to the cellar for some finely aged whiskey.

_But today is not an ordinary day. _

With that in mind, she allowed her feet to carry her to the infirmary where a god-sent tonic could be made; she was quite adept at concocting them by now. Once she entered the infirmary, she was not surprised on who was already up and about. A withered and short man with a mane of wild dark blonde hair shuffled through the supply cabinet. He wore a green tunic with black trousers that appeared as old as he was and around his neck hung a collection of bright yellow crystals that glittered with every movement that he made. He turned only when the sound of the door closing enacted through the room.

"Good morning, Your Majesty." A soft smile and softer brown eyes were trained on Elsa.

"And good morning to you too, Grand Pabbie."

"Long night." Although, the words were clearly a statement, and not a question, she nodded all the same. "Well, don't you worry. The tonic should be finished in about a minute. Please, sit."

As Pabbie continued with his work, Elsa flashed a small smile at the older man.

_Somehow he always knows what I need._

As the infirmary was currently abandoned except for themselves, Elsa had sat on one of the many unoccupied beds. The smell of crushed herbs and cotton bandages somehow soothed her and the pounding lessened to a light knocking.

_Maybe I don't truly need the tonic after all._

"Oh, I beg to differ." Grand Pabbie quips.

_What? How did he know?_

"At peace, my Queen. You mumble quite often as a child and that trait still follows you. Now, I would recommend taking this with some Chamomile tea." After handing a small glass to the ailing Queen, he turns towards the fireplace where a teapot was hanging in place. He carefully fished the heated pot and poured the liquid into a teacup.

As the elderly man continued with his actions, Elsa stared fondly from her seating as warmer memories trickled through her mind. She had let the brunt of her amazement at the man fade long ago, but a sense of awe still persisted within her. Somehow or someway, Grand Pabbie knew what, when, or where anything occurred within the castle. Her smile widened when a childhood memory flashed behind her eyes. Even back then, he was the wise grandfather. His presence within the castle was nearly eternal; always as steady and unchangeable as stone.

_Perhaps Olaf is right about Pabbie being part elf._

A chuckle shook Elsa out of her thoughts as she realized that the short doctor has been standing before her. Held between his tough fingers, fine streams of steam floated up from the teacup.

"I mumbled again, didn't I?"

"Indeed you did. And I must clear up that I am descended from trolls, not elves." At the mock seriousness in his voice, Elsa could not refrain from laughter, though soft as it may be. These moments of banter with her dearest and oldest friend never failed to warm her soul. It took a few glamorously long moments for the laughter to pass through. And when Grand Pabbie's voice started once again, she listened closely.

"Laughter is a powerful medicine, but the tonic and the tea should rid that headache of yours for good." At this, she realized that she still had the small glass filled. Elsa perished it off with a swift swallow, and had to force a grimace away due to the tonic's aftertaste. The knowing glint shined brighter within soft brown eyes as Pabbie exchanges the empty glass with the full teacup.

"And after the tea, I must insist that you rest for the remainder of this morning."

"You should know better than most that I cannot. There is so much to do…" She sips slowly as to prolong the end to this moment of sanctuary.

"And that is where your advisors come into play. Make those lumps of stone do some actual work." Grand Pabbie chuckles at his own jest as he turns around to stroke the blaze. However, Her Majesty does not. Not even a smile. Instead, her lips pull down at the corners. The inevitable was mere hours away and Grand Pabbie would more likely be here, rearranging herbs and other whatnots. A battle on her doorstep and her people would be able to view the spectacle without harm.

_Almost dreamlike. Am I dreaming? How I wish so._

Drawing away from the sudden sobering mood, she tried to continue the conversation.

"They have been given their roles." A moment passes. "And shouldn't the phrase 'rolling stones gathers no moss' be familiar to you?" The jab is a bit strained, but Grand Pabbie immediately speaks up to break up the tension within Elsa.

"Moss is not going to be of any use around here. So I say go find and push those lumps of stones. While they roll, you will rest." With the command given, Elsa downs the last dregs of the tea, saddened that she could not make the drink last longer.

"Well, then. I'll be off. Have a… good day, Grand Pabbie." The hesitation within the sentence does not go unheard to the older man. He comes up and gently places the teacup down and takes a hold of her hands.

"Another trait of yours is to worry. Believe me, my little pebble, Arendelle will be fine. I feel it." With those words, he squeezes her hands. Elsa takes the moment to look at the intertwined fingers. Grand Pabbie's skin reminds her of leather with its course texture and strength, while her own remind her of silk as it is soft and flexible.

_Hmm, how ironic._

The Queen merely nodded his head at the older man. She knew that Grand Pabbie did not believe her as she saw the knowing glint in his eyes. Another squeeze and the rugged warmth left her hands feeling exposed. A chill crawled up her spine. Elsa was fortunate that Pabbie's back was turned as a shiver was forced out of her.

_What was that?_

So focused on the foreign movement, she was shocked out of her stupor as Grand Pabbie's voice spoke out again.

"If you run into Bulda, tell her to hurry with the supplies. Then you go straight to bed." Hearing the soft command and the softer dismissal in his voice, she bent slightly to place a gentle kiss on his forehead. With a near silent 'thank you', she left her small sanctuary.

She stood outside the closed door for a moment. Taking the time to drain her face of all emotion and steady her drifting mind, she set out towards her study once again. In the haze of the tonic's therapeutic healing, seconds ticked by before she stood outside her room again. She would heed Grand Pabbie's words soon enough, but she had a few last items to check on. To assure herself that her orders were followed.

On her desk, the documents remained as they were. The array of information was currently ignored as she reached to open a locked drawer. A wave of her hand produced a small key made from ice; she had the original iron key destroyed. Within the wooden drawer, the sides were cover in a thin layer of ice. A set of envelopes laid with the missives that were incased in them. Each assured her that the meetings with her advisors earlier in the month had been fruitful. All the preparations made as follows:

The docks were to be cleared out of all ships and sailors; they are to be stationed in Corona as to assist with the kingdom's pirating issue, the guard is to remain within the castle grounds, and to shut all access of the harbor to the public.

All signed by the Internal Affairs Advisor. Elsa never found it odd that she does not know any of her advisors' names. That was simply how she created the space needed. The distance she desired from the rest of the harsh world.

Collecting and storing the letters back into their original hiding place, she relocked the drawer and with another wave of her hand, the small ice key disintegrated. Elsa nodded to herself as a brief acknowledgement at her cleverness. A glance around the room reminded her of the temporary guest that she still retained. However, the white-tailed eagle paid no attention to that as it currently slept on the perched it was put upon earlier in the day; its neck bent around and its beak was tucked underneath its wings. She decided to leave the creature to its rest, which reminded her of her own.

About to take her leave, she gave one last glance to her study; the mess of documents across the table, the still-roaring fire, the sleeping giant of a bird, and a certain figure that was seen out of the window.

Elsa took silent steps towards the triangular, floor-to-ceiling window and beheld a sight for her sore eyes. Said window had a magnificent view of Arendelle; the nearby town square, the harbor, and the surrounding forest and mountains could be seen. However, the Queen's view was not fixated on the far-off joys, but on the child within the garden situated right under the window. The garden placed below the window was quite smaller than others located around the castle. A single stone fountain was surrounded by a clearing before bushes of different flowers bloomed from the earth.

_He never fails to rise with the sun._

The ebony hair of Olaf shone out among the brightly coloured hues surrounding him. The waves of black swayed wildly as he ran unbounded around the fountain; a joyful expression on his features. Chasing him, the goliath cat-bear pounced after the Crown Prince of Arendelle; yet always remained a step behind.

To anyone else who could watch this scene, horror and terror would have frozen their hearts to see the young child pursued by such a beast. However, all of the staff employed at the castle has known the existence of the icy creature for the past four years and has learned much about it. First off, the creature was (obviously) created by the Queen on the day of her eighteenth birthday, so it followed her every command. Secondly, the creature was christened 'Marshmallow' by a four-year-old Olaf, though most did not know the reason why. Lastly, the beast was surprisingly placid. Though its size oozed danger and prowess, it was usually seen trailing serenely behind Prince Olaf or Queen Elsa.

The goliath now had tripped the child with a well-aimed swipe to the feet and the eight-year-old child began to roll around in the slightly dew-covered grass, an action unfit for royalty but no one saw except Elsa. Olaf's mouth was open in laughter as serrated claws tickled his exposed stomach. His attempts to squirm away from the ticklish assault were thwarted as Marshmallow dropped his boulder-size head onto Olaf chest, thus pinning him. Olaf stilled.

Curious at the sudden dormancy, Marshmallow lifted himself to see the boy spread out and not moving. Up above, Elsa's grin widened as she knew what her mischievous brother was about to do. Turning himself around, Marshmallow settled at Olaf's head to determine any movement or breathing. When he lowered his head, Olaf jumped up explosively. And the most unexpected event happens…

The gargantuan beast of ice and snow was surprised so badly that he reared completely over and landed onto his back. Again, Olaf is seen laughing at the expression of indignation on the snow creature's face as said creature shook out its snowy pelt. However, the expression of ire was quickly replaced with a knowing smirk (as close as a gigantic snow beast could smirk). Marshmallow crouched upon all fours, its tail swished back-and-forth and eyes locked on the now-silent boy. Olaf quickly scrabbled to his feet, but did not take a single step before he was swung into thin air.

Flailing about in sudden panic, Olaf was caught by the same forearms that threw him up like he weighed nothing. Marshmallow balanced on his hind-legs, easily towering over the nearby fountain, and began twirling around with Olaf in his arms. After long minutes of this, the giant fell down to his back again quite dizzy. Olaf, being safely cradled within the snowy prison, was giggling and squirming. This time, Olaf succeeded in his escape attempt and raced wobbly away for his capturer. Giving a firm shake of the head, Marshmallow rose to his feet once more and galloped after the black hair among the greenery.

Throughout the spectacle, Elsa had watch, sitting on the couch next to the window. A hand was lifted to her lips, smothering the small laughter that managed to escape. Her shoulders shook and her eyes twinkled with amusement. This was one of a few precious moments of bliss, though tainted with melancholy as she was not there with him.

After an indefinable amount of time, Olaf ran to the fountain and collapsed in front of the stone structure. His small chest heaved at the amount of running he had done. In comparison, Marshmallow appeared unfazed as he gathered the exhausted child within his long forearms. With a twist of his frame, the giant laid upon his back while Olaf rested face-down on his cool chest.

Elsa's mind focused on the protectiveness that surrounded her younger brother. Finally still, Marshmallow appeared almost beautiful to the eyes as his snowy pelt reflected the sun's early rays with a sparkle resembling minuscule diamonds. The little boy rose and fell in time to the steady breath of the giant as Marshmallow rubbed his paws gently against the slender back of the snuggling Olaf.

But a second glance easily exposed the danger of the beast. The same forearms that cradled the child outlined the muscles that may crush him without effort. The paws that gently rubbed positioned themselves so the razor sharp claws did not rip open the tender flesh. Marshmallow was lethal to all but herself and Olaf.

_He is his purpose personified._

Her thought was answered by a familiar echo.

_I am as you desired…_

The snowy bear-cat tilted his head enough to look at the overlooking Queen with his hollow eye sockets. Even at a distance, they still felt each other's presence.

_You are the only soul that I entrust Olaf with. Keep him close. Keep him safe._

_Always…_

_Today, this will end._

_No…_

_No?_

_Power… Coming ever closer…_

_So, it is true._

_Feel…_

At the moment, Elsa felt her skin shiver. Aware of a pressure becoming stronger, she thought.

_Your purpose has not changed. I will end it._

_It is Strong… Determined…_

_I am stronger._

At this, there was no reply. Marshmallow move his gaze back to the child upon his chest. With the moment passed, Elsa drew her gaze to the fjord and the horizon beyond. She grew up alongside with the constant roar of the sea and knew with certainty that in a matter of hours, the pristine blue will be stained red. The vision of crimson waves sent a sensation of nausea through her. However, Elsa shuts her eyes, forces the scene from her mind's eye, and takes a deep breath. After a moment, they reopen to expose nothingness. No nausea, no trepidation, no emotion. The mask returns to its rightful place.

_Shame…but it must be done. Then, my kingdom can have true peace._

Turning away from the window, she proceeds to exit her study and follow Grand Pabbie's instructions. She does not notice that two sets of gazes had watched her observation of the nearby sea. In the morning light, one shines a sapphire blue, while the other is a hollow shadow.

* * *

"Something bad is happening. Isn't it, Marshmallow?"

The voice who spoke is filled with sadness. Eight years of life were not enough to teach the young boy everything he wanted, but what he knew, he was certain about. Olaf twisted in the giant's grip to look into its gaze. Even without eyes, wisdom still shone from the hollow sockets.

Only a soft growl was his reply. But he understood.

Wrapping his thin arms around the snow giant, he hugged it with all of his might.

"We have to make sure that she is safe."

* * *

**AN: Yes, I made Merida's little brothers into Assassin Creed Spies. They really do get away with murder. ;) Olaf is almost too cute for words, but I hope I managed well enough. The connection between Elsa and Marshmallow is kind of cool. I wanted to show the bond they have as Marshmallow represents Elsa's wish for isolation. I'll tweek it later on to form my devious plans. But suggestions and comments are still welcomed.**

**Oh, and the White-tailed Sea Eagle is an epic-looking bird that does live in Scotland. So, I gave one to the three devils. Hmm...What should its name be?**

***Spoiler Alert* Thebattlebeginsinthenextchapter!I'msoexcited. *Spoiler Alert***

**See ya people next week, Au revoir.**


	6. Ch 6: Friable

**AN: Another week, another chapter. I got a few things to say, so I'll be quick.**

**Firstly, I got another 2-tester next week, so no update next Thursday. Sorry, School sucks...**

**On a better note, guess what! This story has reached its first 10 followers! I love celebrating the little things in life, so I'm happy. Thank you, to you awesome people!**

**Oh, and I changed a little something in the story. In chapter 4, I first wrote that the invading fleet had 4,000 soldiers. Then, I realized that I had to have a ridiculous amount of ships for that. I needed the fleet to be sort of small and agile. I changed it to 1,000 soldiers. I'll have updated chapter 4 to fit in with this chapter. It's a little thing, but it's important for what I have in mind. But I'm not telling yet. ;)**

**Lastly, Enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing, except my brain.**

* * *

Chapter 6: Friable

_So, this is what the Kingdom of Arendelle truly looks like? It's beautiful._

Most of the crew members have not been this far north, but Anna knew that everyone on the ship shared the same sentiment of the somewhat isolated kingdom. Even from the far-off view that they had. Anna herself had to swipe a spyglass from Sebastian to get such a detailed view of the land.

The kingdom in question was settled right next to the water. Many trade ships and small fishing boats awaited upon the shore, clearly showing a great dependency upon fishing for the people. And the rocky ground in which the small kingdom stood on supported that theory. Farming seemed almost an impossibility, but the thick pine forests beyond the outskirts of the town held the promise of big game and lumber. Amazingly, the castle stood on an outcropping of rock, so it was literally a step away from the fjord's icy waters. The town surrounding the stone structure was quaint, none of the buildings were overly crowded or tall. Though, stone forts were encompassing the area, they were not massive or truly frightening; probably used as a sentry to identify ships. Overall, a very open kingdom.

_Damn._

The though was a lament as Anna continued to observe the peace from the crow's nest. Esmerelda and Ariel had gone down hours ago to perform their duties before all hell broke loss. However, what they did now wasn't that much different than what they did over the course of the trip; assisting the soldiers, loading guns and crossbows, checking the inventory, et cetera. The worst thing about the entire trip was the lack of work Anna had. She loathed boredom with a passion of a scorned lover.

_All thanks granted to His Majesty Magnus._

If the sarcasm wasn't clear enough, the eye roll and the irritated huff showed Anna's beliefs of the situation. King Magnus wanted his way to vengeance to be as smooth as possible, and for some reason, allowing Anna to have no work onboard the ship was a step in that direction. Anna was well rested all right, but that feeling only lasted for the first three days until restlessness twitched within her. After that, she started sneaking responsibilities with her newly found friends however tedious or strenuous the tasks were.

Nevertheless, here she was with boredom being as close a companion as Esmeralda and Ariel have been over the past fortnight. The afternoon sun seemed far away as a cool breeze lifted her glowing locks of hair. Her sight is still focused upon the isolated yet peaceful haven that would soon be broken. The spyglass glittered as she tucked it into a vest pocket but kept her sights in the same direction with a sorrowful expression on her face.

Anna knew what would proceed soon enough. In a matter of minutes, she'll be onshore realizing all hell to combat whatever hell awaited her. Sadly, she had spent useless time with a certain arrogant fox going over invasion strategies. With the centerpiece of the kingdom was protected by towering mountains, the only path was through the fjord. A bold and foolish move for many tacticians, it will become simple with Anna's help. The phrase, 'a strong offense is a good defense' got repeated often during these talks. Anna grew to hate those words.

The only silver lining in all this was that she made it clear to His Majesty and the runt who accompanied her that she would not kill. Defend, yes. Assist, yes. Kill, no. It was actually easier than she thought to convince the King of that viewpoint. Then again, she didn't really look like a cold-blooded killer.

It wasn't that she physically could not, as she has already done so in the past. But no one else knew that little detail except two people. Again her mind's eye flashed back to pictures of hunks of meat. They used to belong to an entire group of men, until they went too far. She used her strength and demolished them all. However, she had to be smart about the attack or risk persecution, so she hid the gruesome murders in plain sight. The crowd of Avstand saw one part of the picture while Anna conceal the rest. A sleight of hand and the crowd cheers.

_Like a magician._

Anna snorts at the thought. However, the dour mood remains around her. Mostly, she just wanted all this to begin already. The wait was almost agonizing. Anna was not one to sit still, but over the course of her life, she had been harshly taught that lesson. Now, she was a master of silence, of stillness, and of control.

And how she hated herself for it.

Before her mood and thoughts turned anymore self-destructive, she swung her legs over the railing and began climbing down the footropes. The main reason that she loathed being still was that it gave her too much time to think. She already had enough of that, so she sought out something to do. Her boots hit the deck with a quiet 'clunk' as she observed the activity around her.

On deck, there wasn't much to speak of. Normal maintenance of the ship, several soldiers sharpening swords, and sailors hauling supplies around and whatnot. The real hive of activity was below deck. Anna's senses were intensified as she closed her eyes while leaning against the starboard railing. Regardless, it was so loud, Anna could just guess at everything that happened with her ears. Armor strapped on, gunpowder packed in, cannonballs loaded up, arrows notched, orders shouted, and commands obeyed. It was almost beautiful; the smoothness of the chaos underneath her feet.

But she saw more. She saw every inch of the ship within her head; she memorized it. Sitron in his stable, the brat in his room, the commotion below deck, and the three boys within the brig. Well, they're technically men, but no one would have guess that from their behavior.

The Devils of Dunbroch; Crown Princes Harris, Hubert and Hamish. Few on the ship were knowledgeable enough to know of their great reputation and fewer still knew they were actually onboard. The Vengeance did have a rather large brig situated underneath the storage area, but the three weren't there. The particular ship in which they traveled in contained a specified cell tucked away in the lowest pocket of the stern. This housed the three men in a cramped and dank darkness.

She had met the three as many times as she could during the trip, though no one else knew. After all, she had to avoid suspicion. Now, she allowed her mind's eye to settle slightly on the three red-headed prisoners.

_They are good…they'll be safe._

Her previous meetings with them fluttered through her mind. They were devils through and through, but their loyalty and intelligence glittered in their eyes. And with Anna's years of reading faces, she easily found the pure-hearted courage within the brothers. Her time spent with them always left her with a warm feeling in her chest. Their banter and light hearts illuminated the coldness of the dank cell.

Anna tries to revive that warmth again as she prepares to do something horrendous. The memory sparks and she clings to the feeling as she know that's she's being approached. Folding her arms behind her back and gripping her hidden armguards tightly, she sets her gaze to the forsaken kingdom. The sound of a cleared throat doesn't deter her gaze. She knows that she stands before the horrendous devil of greed and strife: Prince Hans Westergaard of the Southern Isles.

The man looked more of a boy than a man of twenty-four summers. His Highness was taller than her as her forehead came up to his nose, with a mop of crimson-brown curls. His face was soft; no scars, no beard, no moustache. A soft blush on his cheeks and a large pair of sideburns was all that frame his features. His uniform was crisp and clean; new. Everything about him screamed 'pampered' and 'sheltered.' Even his voice was soft as he spoke.

"Today, victory will be ours."

_Cocky, little bastard._

"Overconfidence kills, little boy." Her reply is as cold as the fjord's waters. But the insult does what she wants. Just at the edge of her vision, she notes the change from open confidence to a dark maliciousness. Anna knew of his hatred of being the youngest of the King's thirteen sons, thus being pushed aside and forgotten. Anna also knew that Prince Hans was the most dangerous of the thirteen.

She discreetly watched as he smoothly cover his anger with a calm façade.

"True. I just know that with you, we will prevail."

"Flattery will get you nowhere in life."

"It's not charm, its knowledge."

"Which you have neither one nor the other." She still has not turned to him and it annoys him. The poor boy truly does hate being ignored. Again, the brief window of anger opens and closes in her peripheral. The change is so small that she believes that even he doesn't know he's slipping.

_I guess he suspected me to be too focused to jab at his pride. Stupid boy._

She interrupts him before he could spin anymore tales.

"Now, do get on with what you wish to speak about." A moment passes.

"It's fine to be nervous. I am, as well."

_Ah, the sympathetic comrade route. How original._

"I can tell." This time the twitch isn't present. Odd, it's usually hard to not miss its presence.

_Hmm, what are you thinking, little Hans?_

"And may the gods forgive me for my flaws. But the other men are also nervous with the battle against the Ice Queen…" He pauses, as if in indecision.

_You're getting closer._

"Perhaps a display of your strength will steady their resolves and boost moral?"

_And there it is._

Anna remembers the visit months before from the aging king with his entourage of soldiers. Then, there was the one man who was no soldier, but wore clothing similar to the King of the Southern Isles. That was Hans. He never introduced himself, but simply watched her closely. Anna mostly ignored him and spoke with the King. At one point, King Magnus had asked the man-child to check upon the soldiers whom had secured the house to prevent anyone from entering the dwelling. After all, Anna had become an honored hero and a visit from the King himself never went unnoticed for long.

As Hans was out, Anna showed the King proof of her real strength. The poor boy had missed out on all the fun. Now, he wanted to see.

Sadly for him, his papa (and Anna) had other plans.

"Do not worry your pampered little head, Your Highness. Before the day sets, you'll have your share," she sneered. Again, the flicker came, but was contained within the green eyes. Since her first introduction to Hans, Anna always thought that it was a shame that his eyes were green. Her favorite color. The color of life, wisdom, and growth turned to greed, envy, and poison within the brat's eye sockets.

_Sad, but I got the perfect solution for that._

With a sudden smile from that train of thought, she walked away with a parting sentence.

"Now, if you'll excuse me, I should be getting into position."

* * *

The generous sun caresses her cheekbones. The salt-laden wind glides through her golden locks like a lover's touch. The waves whisper unintelligible songs to her ears. Yet, Elsa ignores them all, no matter how hard they begged for her attention.

The Queen of Arendelle was as still as the cobblestone she stood upon. With her stillness, she appears to be made out of marble and starlight. Her crown rested upon white-gold hair, which was styled into a windswept braid; giving her a wild aura. Her pervious attired was replace with an impossibly-made dress. Each thread sparkled as they were made by interwoven strands of frost. Complicated designs of snowflakes dotted the crystalline bodice and the sheer train that trailed behind her. Even the heels on her feet had small fractals on them.

As the sun reflects off of her pale skin and icy clothing, she appears to be eternally peaceful. As if you could leave for years and she'll still be standing in her place. She was Skaði reincarnated.

But her eyes contradict the serenity with cold wrath as she pins the fleet in her gaze.

_There you are._

Seven ironwood warships approached the fjord's opening and quite fast. The wooden contraptions of battle seemed elegant on the water. Each responded to the others movements and move in a secret formation. Except for a few twitches of moving shadows, the ships' decks appeared deserted; as if they moved on their own will. Moving as one unit, Elsa was almost tempted to call it graceful, perhaps even beautiful. But the waving flag of the Southern Isles was a harsh reminder of their presence.

The reason the flag waved so strongly was from Elsa herself. Behind the façade of calmness, emotions ebbed and flowed; reflected by the ever strengthening wind and churning waves. She did not acknowledge either of the two. Instead, she focused on the waving colors and (more importantly) the pressure in the air.

She had followed Grand Pabbie's instructions and rested as best she could. But no matter how hard she tried, she could not relax. While riding out to the city's harbour, her spine remained stiff and tense muscles shivered. A presence was so strong, it unnerved her. Whatever it was, it was among the fleet coming to destroy her home.

_What are you?_

As she watched the nearing wooden behemoths, curiosity persisted in her thoughts. She wanted to know what it was; why she could feel it. She had to force the questions and guilt out of her being.

_Whatever you may be, I will end you swiftly._

It was her enemy. The missive from the princes flashed through her mind.

_Bowing trees and trembling earth. Hmm, then it's not bright to travel by water._

A smirk adorned Queen Elsa's face. The last ship had entered the fjord. That was here cue.

Finally, she stepped forward. Her stride was strong and confident as the cobblestone frosted beneath her steps. The winds grew in strength in the vacant harbour and the water raged up with its power. One glass-like heel was raised before the surging waves as Queen Elsa teetered on the edge of the water. Then, the icy heel stepped down.

Immediately, a pulse emitted from the point of contact and the water began to frost over. The ice crawled over the entire fjord as each wave's crest and trough appeared paralyzed in time. The approaching ships shrieked to a halt when ice dug into their wooden flanks. A jagged expanse of colorless ice was all that remained of the previously surging water.

But Her Majesty was far from done.

A flick of her hand and fog descended upon the jagged stalagmites. One moment it settled over the ice field, and the next it vanished. In its place laid an army of one hundred golems, silent and lethal. Elsa knew that she needed no more; one hundred huge, bulky frames with the strength ten thousand men. With a thought, all one hundred began to stampede with the disorder and savagery of wildebeests.

Throughout all of this, Elsa never took another step forward; she had no need to.

She stood with her kingdom behind her and the paralyzed fjord before her. Every particle of her being sang with such release and use of her magic. Her muscles were finally relaxed, blood sang in her veins, and breath filled her lungs with a chilly glee. Elsa's glacial gaze pulsated slightly while she took in her victory with a wicked smirk on her lips.

_It's over. Its final-_

A gasp ripped out of her throat as the ice tremble. She struggled to keep her balance as an unnatural groan seep from beneath her feet; as if the ice itself was in agony. It painfully squealed against her ears. She gaze at the quaking, incandescent flooring in fear.

_Wh-what!?_

She had no time to think, say, or do anything else before the shuddering ceased completely.

The quiet left behind felt as if a weight hung in the air. A horribly long moment of muteness pasted before Elsa could raise her eyes from the ground. Her skin crawled. Her muscles shook. Her mouth fell open. The one hundred golems reacted to their creator's distress and froze where they stood half way between Elsa and the ships.

Then, the quiet was destroyed soon enough. What had ended that silence was witness by Elsa. What followed next in her head was one thought.

_Dear gods, help us._

* * *

_Well, I'll be damn._

Anna was speechless; a rarity to anyone who personally knew the strawberry blond. For one of the few moments of her life, she was speechless, thoughtless, and motionless. But she still felt, and all she felt was a potent concoction of shock and awe.

Before, she had just finished swapping her vest for another, when she felt a gods-awful wretch from the bottom of her heart. Akin to a chain attempting to drag it towards her stomach.

With unsteady legs, she stumbled out of her room and headed to the deck; passing the hunkered down soldiers and crew. All this she saw and not saw as she could only think of how lucky she was able to change her vest in time. To the one that held all of her possibilities.

Pushing through the bright sunlight, she was amazed to feel such a frigid gust of air. Its touch did not bother here, but it was unnerving. What was more unnerving was the sight she took in as she forced her eyes open. The heavens were peaceful; cotton-white clouds and blue skies. Earth was hell; dark water curling and air slicing anything in its path. A glance back showed that the sea beyond the fjord was as calm as it could be. As if a storm were trapped solely in the fjord itself.

_She's here._

Another pull in her chest made her stumble towards the bow of the ship. She had to know, had to see who was doing this. Not what; who. Anna had to see the Snow Queen.

As one hand held the railing and the other clutched her chest, she looked beyond the raging sea towards the kingdom. Among the dark water and frigid wind, there was a ray of light. The light was a woman standing on the edge of the docks, and she was the most mystical woman Anna has ever seen.

Though Anna was still far off from shore, she could tell that everything was white about her. White hair. White skin. Even, white clothing. She was the calm in the rising storm. As if Odin himself has sent an angel to guard the besieged kingdom.

_That's her… the Snow Queen of Arendelle._

This was reaffirmed as what happened next made Anna's jaw drop.

The pale woman strode towards the violent waters and as she stepped on it, a blue wave of light rippled throughout the water. Following the light, came the ice. It crawled over the waves and stilled them in the positions they were in. As it hit the fleet, the ships shuddered to a stop with the sound of scraping wood. Anna had to tighten her grip on the railing to not fall over.

What remained was a horrid plateau of jagged teeth. Nothing moved. Nothing breathed. An artist immortalizing the sea in time. Then a fog rolled in from out of nowhere, shrouding the entirety of the ice field including the ships themselves. Anna could not see the anything beyond several paces around her. She was confused as it dissipated around her, but then grew amazed at what she saw. An echo of the tales of the Queen's power sounded through Anna's head.

_Born of the coldest winter air... Ice containing the strength of a hundred men... An army of icy creatures…_

The creatures were ice giants. Their hands were reinforced with jagged talons and teeth were the size of swords. The boulder-like bodies held strength far beyond the mortal man. Before Anna could take anything else in, they charged. A hundred, maybe two hundred charged with the strength of a tsunami; ready to demolish everything in its path and drag it under the waves.

But a battlefield was a familiar place for the strawberry-blonde.

She focused her mind away from the charging beasts ready to decimate them, and away from the cold nipping at her skin. She reached in and called to the life beneath the water. She felt the life call back to her; it was seaweed. It leafy appendages grew upwards with her help and with a sudden surge, they attacked.

The field of ice rattled and groaned under the assault. It wasn't as strong as it appeared. At the same time, she called forth the pollen from the pine forest beyond the town. She heard its respond. Anna smiled.

_Perfect._

The pine pollen flew on the winds that Anna herself made. They swirled around her, clinging to her clothes and brushing her skin. Dancing and singing their old songs for her. She commanded the seaweed to pull back, and the seaweed obeyed. The ice settled.

In the silence that remained, she made them grow larger and stronger. As this occurred, they coiled underneath the ice, akin to springs. They grew tighter, and tighter as the energy grew. They aimed at the ice while others grouped under the seven warships to steady them. As she was about to begin, the pollen alerted her to another presence several paces behind her.

But she wasn't alarmed. She knew who it was.

_Predictable, as always._

A glance to the little boy Hans was all it took to see his excitement and his awe. The 'earth' woman surrounded by the seeds of life and had made both the earth and ice trembled. With a wicked grin on her face, she taunted him.

"You haven't seen anything yet, little Hans!"

She turned back towards the frozen fjord. As she struck her clenched fist upwards and a war yell towards the heavens, the sea exploded.

* * *

**AN: Kind of rushed through this, so don't be afraid to tell me if I messed something up. Still, how did you guys like it?**

**Its finally out people, Anna has the magic over organic matter (aka plants). Can plants beat ice? Wait till you see what I'm planning. ;)**

**I did the whole two povs' to avoid writing two smallish chapters. Now I know why people love writing cliffhangers. I tried not to, but I couldn't resist. I'm a horrible person. Hope you like it and will be typing up the battle. **

**Oh, and two things; Skaði is the Nordic Goddess of bowhunting, skiing, winter, and the mountains. And the chapter's name, Friable, means breakable or loose. Guess why? **

**So, until next time, Au revoir.**


	7. Ch 7: Siege

**AN: Another two weeks has passed, passed them test with flying colours once again, and another chapter is born. Enjoy and review.**

**But before you read, I have some bad news. School has been really hitting me hard, and I struggled to get this chapter up on time. I have to change the updates to only once every two weeks. It hurts me to do this, but I hope you ladies and gentlemen can understand. I really want to make good chapters, but not sacrifice my studies. So, I hope that with the two weeks in between each update, I will do just that. **

**Disclaimer: If only Disney was mine, the possibilities would be epic. *Sighs sadly***

* * *

Chapter 7: Siege

With a blast louder than thunder, the world exploded around Elsa. The ice beneath her feet lurched horrible before shooting upwards. Unable to react fast enough, Elsa was thrown through the air. After a long moment in the air as terror consumed her, gravity brought her down roughly.

It was only with an instinctual response did she land on a snow drift, thus preventing serious injuries but knocking the breath out of her lungs. Horribly shaken and dazed, Elsa couldn't move and instead she looked at the world around her. Where she now laid on the snow drift was on the docks, a good several yards away from the water's edge. The way she landed had her facing away from the water and towards her home.

Still unable to move, she saw a mass of movement in the streets beyond the docks. The villagers, who must have gathered during the casting of her ice, were running away from the harbour; their mouths open with screams of horror she could not hear. That no one could hear. All the noise in the world was downed by the sound of thrashing water and crunching gravel. After regaining her breath, Elsa stumbled out of the snow drift and turned to look at the fjord. After she did, she wished she hadn't.

A gargantuan monster thrashed in the frigid water. All that could be seen of it was its flexible column-like limbs ripping through the ice-incased fjord. What she had mistaken for crunching gravel was really her ice being grinded to dust. The ragged field was now destroyed as those limbs, thicker than trees, crunched through them with the ease akin to tearing paper.

_This thing… this monster is their weapon? How- what is-?_

Before the thought could finish, another limb surfaced in front of the docks where she stood. It reared up towards the heavens and then whipped down. Aiming straight at Elsa herself. Unbridled terror consumed her as she struck back at her approaching death. A flash of blue erupted from her arm and the limb frozen stiff only a mere few yards from her. Now up close, she quickly took in that the paralyzed appendage was a dark green and truly was thicker than she was tall.

_I can't stay here. Too much danger, have to get to higher ground._

As she turned, she saw the ice incasing the trapped appendage crack. She couldn't raise her hands in defense before it shattered completely. Thousands of slimmer vines reached from the original tentacle and snagged onto Elsa's arms. Even as her mouth open to scream, she couldn't as they swiftly wrapped around her in a cocoon of flesh.

The fear from the darkness covering her was pushed aside as the cocoon began to squeeze around her. Terror seized her and she struck out against the living restraints.

A blast of deep and bitter coldness pierce through Elsa's frame and was sent towards the contrasting cage. And with a shudder, they disintegrated. Every nerve in Elsa's body was wound as tightly as it has ever been. Goose pimples dotted her skin and muscles twitched. But all she could think of was…

_Get away, have to move! Move, Elsa!_

She turned once more and without another thought, coated the cobblestone beneath her feet in ice and shaped her heels into ice skates. She pushed against the ground to skate away. She only turned back as she exited the docks. Her eyes widened once again. The serpent-like appendages now curled around boulder-sized chunks of the destroyed ice field and began chucking them to the village.

They were using Elsa's ice against her. She was paralyzed in shock, until the hollow _thunks_ of sound from the ice chunks crashing back to earth pulled her attention.

_No! Protect them!_

Planting her feet in a strong stance and opening her arms, she felt the cold within her being flow upward and outward. The icy tendrils weaved their way through the air and, in moments, formed a dome over the village. The barrier stretched up and over the city which incased all of it into shadow.

When finished, Elsa fell to her knees, gasping for breath. Her body ached and her mind was hazy. With the monster-infested harbour securely cut off from the rest of her home, Elsa forced herself to think.

_What in hell was that!? How could someone control a beast like that!? Breathe, Elsa. Breathe and get back up. Nothing can break my shield._

She was snapped out of her musing as hollow thuds sounded against the barrier. The sun shining overhead allowed the shadows of the objects to be seen. The difference on shadows between ice against ice and ice against the creature's limbs were staggering. But the ice held. She glanced behind her to see the villagers had retreated within their homes or deeper into the city.

_Alright, Elsa. Get higher ground. Rain spears from above as the golems go straight across. I can't access underwater, but if I can weaken it, the-_

This time, she was interrupted by a bone-chilling sound.

Silence…

The attack had ceased. A sickening sense of déjà vu came over Elsa.

_Again?_

As if on cue, a sound erupted that made her skin crawl. It was a dull cracking. It was oddly muffled as if a pillow were trying to smother the sound. But it was still clearly heard. And it was coming from all around Elsa. Her gaze darted frantically to find the origin. When movement from above caught her eyes, they widened once more.

Something was crawling over the sphere. Long serpentine shadows snaked up and out. It was slow and steady as it carved its path. In the wake of their slow procession, hair-thin cracks threaded themselves between the darker shadows. Elsa stood mesmerized at the sight, but she failed to understand how the delicate arrangement was made. However, she figured it out as her invincible ice sounded a startling CRACK!

_It was inside the shield!_

And she could do nothing but watch it collapse and plummet to its way to crush her home.

* * *

_Let's see what you can do, Snow Queen._

With the challenge in mind, Anna watched the sea of ice explode upward. Gigantic stalks of seaweed plow out of the water and bend against the wind. The pollen that previously surrounded her, now flew out into the chaotic sea. Anna made the pollen of the pine trees and the swaying seaweed meld into one. In seconds, she had made the seaweeds' stems as thick as pine thunks yet the flexibility remained.

This dual ability reduced the army of golems to undiscernible chunks with the rest of the ice. The small particles of ice dust caught the strong sunlight as miniscule rainbows.

But she only admires it for a while, as she closed her eyes and allowed her mind to sink into the essence of the earth. She feels every sinew in each stem and leave follow her will. Calling and answering her. A part of her own being.

Anna always admired her vast imagination. Right now, that imagination just summoned forth a creature to be created for this exact purpose. Each towering seaweed stalk turned to a massive limb and a deep roar was heard in the echoes of her own mind. Sebastian's sea stories replayed in her head.

_And the Kraken rose from the writhing sea and sunk ships whole._

It was intoxicating.

She also senses the ice but to a lesser degree. Like holding a block of ice in a gloved hand. Feels its pulsing. Feels it bend and break under her will until its smaller chunks are held by many of the swaying seaweed. But her attention is forced to something on the shoreline. Without really knowing how, she followed an echo of the pulse. The ice was nothing but merely veins, and Anna focuses on finding the heart. And find it she did.

Mending her mind into the seaweeds, she moves with it. Becomes it. And senses the Queen close to the shore. Another gargantuan seaweed stalk careens out of the water and with Anna's lead, whips itself towards the Queen of Arendelle. However, Anna was positive that it wouldn't land.

She was right.

A harsher pulse of blue was emitted and the giant seaweed stalk was encased in ice. But that was all. The stalk was encased, not frozen; not dead. Thankfully, the pine trees' resilience to the cold helped with that.

Anna could still feel its life and could see the pale-skinned Queen hesitating. For what, Anna didn't know, but she wasn't going to question it. Giving the stalk another helping of her help, it shattered the encasing with ease.

Without a moment to spare, Anna conjured the seaweed to sprout slender stems and wrapped them around the woman of white. Once completely entangled, Anna knew what she had to do. She had done it many times before. She had done it to the damned bandits that had invaded Avstand.

She was to crush the life out of the entrapped Queen.

But, something wasn't right. Her stomach twisted slightly at the mere thought of doing the act. She had never had harmed a woman before. And she wasn't angry. Red-hot blood was usually what pushed her into doing such acts of savagery. But, she was calm and cool. And she could not do anything.

_Come on, Anna. We'll be quick. She won't feel a thin-_

Anna had not finished the thought as a shockwave rippled out. It stunned her so much that her bond with the seaweed shook and she stumbled back. Her grip on the ships railing stopped her from falling. Blinking her teal eyes open, she looked towards the docks in amazement. Then, in fear as she was missing something.

The entire seaweed stalk was gone. All the lithe stems that were attached to it were gone to. Not injured or frostbitten. Completely disintegrated. She could not feel it anymore, as if it never existed. And fear trickled down her spine.

_Damn._

With wide eyes, she saw the pale woman move swiftly to the village. Shaking herself from her stupor, determination settled in.

_Oh, no you don't._

Sensing her command, the seaweed stalks reached to take up the hundreds of small icebergs floating within the frigid water and catapulting them to the village. Anna never feared about hitting an innocent. The aim of the throws was so well that she could pick out a man in a crowd of a thousand and still aim for him. However, the swift-footed Queen was another matter. Anna needed her to sit still. Aiming at her people should entice the Queen to protect them.

But Anna still had her morals. Well, what was left of them. And one was to never harm an innocent. But the Queen doesn't need to know about that little detail. And that was what she counted on.

What Anna didn't count on was the massive dome of the purest ice she had ever seen. No air bubbles or debris laid within. Glowing a mysterious blue hue, it stood unshakeable as it covered the entirety of the village. Solid as steel as neither the catapulted icebergs nor the whips of the seaweed did anything to shake its sturdy structure.

_Whoa… I didn't see that coming._

"I'd say," the words spoke close to her.

_I really need to work on speaking out my thoughts._

"So, this is the work on the mighty Snow Queen?" She asked Little Hans.

"This may be only the beginning. No one knew what she was capable of until it was too late," Hans replied with trepidation. Even as he talk, another part of Anna's mind was searching the ice sphere. What she found cheered and surprised her. Enough so that the seaweed had stopped their assault.

_Hmm, odd. Something's off here. This shouldn't be here. But I'll take it. Just have to push through. For now._

"Don't fret, Little Hans. Watch and learn."

She pictured what she sensed and the next actions flowed. Moving slowly and steadily, smaller stems of seaweed dug their way into an intermediate space she had found. Oddly, the sphere had an inner and an outer layer with a miniscule space in between. Why would the Queen's creation have such a defect still puzzled Anna even as the stems scarred the perfect surface with fissures and shadows.

A casual flick of her wrist and she witnessed the seemingly eternal structure fall.

But she couldn't sink into the mindless destruction. She took nothing in. Even as the plummeting slabs of ice turned to soft snow that blanketed the entire village or Hans issuing an order to the other ships, Anna ignored it all.

The wrong feeling crept back in. She was being lied to. About what, she didn't know. But she did know one thing with certainty.

_The Queen can't die. Not today._

But Hans could not know of this revelation. No one. So, she commanded the seaweed supporting each ship to move them forward, pushing the wooden vessels on from underneath. When they were close enough, Anna focused on the weeds growing in between the cracks of the cobblestone docks. With her guidance, they flourished and wound themselves into sturdy bridges connecting the decks of each warship with the cobblestone docks.

Another wave of icy golems charged at the ships, but with a flick and twist of her hands, the stampeding behemoths were turned to hunks of cracked ice. The seaweed proceeded to haul the remains into the water as Hans issued another order.

Dragging herself from her mind, Anna turned from the besieged village and saw the troops ascending from below deck. Her eyes focused on their weapons. They gleamed in the sunlight. Sharp and ready to butcher.

Without turning back, she called to the grass and the remaining pine pollen. She sensed what they saw and what she did see gripped her heart. The villagers ranged from standing outside and seeing the commotion to mindlessly running around in panic to praying within their bedroom for safety.

_They're like lambs; ready to be slaughtered._

But she had this under control. She had explained to the good King about her so-called 'short comings.'

"_It is not the nature of the earth to attack, only defend."_

Infusing the two flora together, the pollen gave thicker roots, stronger stems, and resilience from the cold to the slender grass. This proved effective with the village being almost completely buried in snow. Their flexible movements were similar to the seaweed, but much sharper and precise. They began wrapping and dragging the remaining stragglers into the closest housing.

When this succeeded, groups of the thin strands weaved themselves into thick ropes. In turn, these ropes attached themselves to every door and window. Any would see this action as preventing the villagers from assisting by keeping them inside, but the thick ropes were meant to keep the thousand soldiers outside so they could not harm the villagers.

Realigning herself, Anna strode from her spot to her assigned position. With a clatter of hooves against wood, Sitron was led out of his stall. The fjord horse stood tall and strong as Hans mounted the equine. Ignoring the scene, Anna focused onto the Queen. To her, the Snow Queen was a beacon. Even among her enchanted ice and snow, she shone out with a radiance.

_She's heading to the castle. Going on the defensive, she won't stand a chance. I have to find my chance. I need to find out what's really happening._

The shuddering steps from hooved feet gained her attention.

Hans looked like a general, ready to battle for the sake of his home. But Anna wasn't fooled; he never fought a true battle in his life. It was one of the many reasons Anna called him 'boy' or 'Little Hans'.

He strode towards the front and stopped next to Anna. From the saddle, he reached a gloved hand down to her; his face was filled with tempered excitement and determination. She stared at the silent offer with a stoic gaze. Moving to look at him in the face, her features turned to a condescending look that was usually reserved for children.

"No thank you, I'll remain with the rest of these fine men." Emphasizing the word men, she knew Little Hans would understand the taunt. The twitch of anger in his expression was all Anna needed to confirm it. But it was only a twitch, so everyone else who surrounded him still saw the well-mannered Thirteenth Prince of the Southern Isles. Poor Hans didn't know how good she was at seeing the smallest of details on a person's face.

"Very well." His words were a whisper. He steered Sitron to the head of the formation and gave the signal for a forward march. His command was repeated on every ships as one thousand mercenaries disembark from the warships. Clothing ranged from simple chainmail, full plated armor, or no armor at all. Weapons had an even greater variety; from broadswords to crossbows and war hammers to spears.

With her heightened sense, Anna could tell that each ship was made up from a few commanders, who were from the Island Kingdom, and the rest containing hired mercenaries. His Majesty of the Southern Isles trusted Anna's ability (a bit too much), but his old fears wanted no more of his people blood to be shed. Though, the kingdom's treasury was suffering for it at the moment, King Magnus had plans to replenish the loss after their return.

Of course, Anna knew all of this and more. But at the moment, she focused her steps to match with the thousand others as they moved swiftly and steadily through the village. With the villagers trapped, it was time to siege the castle.

But Anna's thought were far away. Her eyes were now glowing a dull jade hue as she marched on.

* * *

_No! No, No, No!_

Everything was wrong! Everything was going absolutely wrong!

Elsa was nothing more than a blur of white; phantom-like. She glided along the icy ground as she speed towards the castle with terror nipping at her heels. The snow beneath and ahead of her shifted into harden ice as she sped along her course. Despite the rush, she had to think hard as to not completely degrade herself.

It wasn't working too well.

_You foolish, Idiot! The princes knew this wasn't natural. Marshmallow knew. Hell, I knew! The power I felt before was that thing! You idiotic, waste of space! This should have been over, you moronic whelp! _

With each insult to herself, she pushed herself harder; trying her best to ignore what was happening next to her.

Screams rose and were cut off as those same hellish appendages rose from the ground. Slimmer and faster, they now wrapped around her people. Treating full grown men and women as if they were mere ragdolls, they were dragging them into the shadows. She tried to stop them. She tried so hard. But no matter what barrage of ice she threw at them, they swiftly slinked off with their catch.

She couldn't do anything. Nothing to help her people. Nothing to stop the invading fleet. Nothing to save her home. No matter what she threw at them, that hell-sent creature would not falter.

Even now, many more of the smaller snake-like limbs crawled over many of the houses and stretched into the streets. Some even reared up to catch the fleeing Queen. But they were easy to avoid as their dark shadows contrasted greatly against the bright white of the surrounding snow.

_Left, right. Dodge and jump… Damn._

Seeming to know her escape, the path ahead of her was block with a spider's web of the writhing green limbs. Annoyance quickly turned to anger as she threw a blast of bitter cold towards the obstacle. Her muscles ached from the energy expended, but it did as she wanted and cleared her path with a shattering crash.

Approaching a sharp turn, she skillfully brushed through as she came to the castle gates. She registered the scurrying shadows higher up the castle walls were the gatekeepers. Having no time or patience for them to do their jobs, she thrust an arm out to create a ramp up and over the towering structure. Once on the other side, she dissolved it and turned to the walls themselves.

Hastily, she threw up a layer on ice on both sides of the encompassing wall, doubling its thickness. Turning around, she saw servants hastily opening the doors and several of her political advisors streamed out. Before their panic could reach her, she call out in a voice of thunder.

"Stop!"

They stilled as if they were struck with her magic. Before they could collect themselves, Elsa spoke again.

"Bring me the Captain of the Guard. All soldiers are to be armed and ready for battle."

One of the older advisors spoke up with horror laced in his voice.

"Your Majesty, the royal guard is gone! Whatever that monstrosity is, it has dragged off all the soldiers!" Taking the news in, Elsa twisted her frame and summoned more golems. However, they were twice the size with twice the amount of jagged spikes on them. She turned back to the advisors.

"When were they taken!?"

"Moments ago, Your Majesty," this was another, much younger advisor. "What shall we do?"

Images flashed by Elsa's mind: the castle armory stalked full of weapons, the narrow catacombs that ran underneath the castle's foundations, the hidden beast in the waters, and Olaf playing chase with Marshmallow.

As ideas fluttered through her head, she sent a quick prayer to her late father for teaching her how to work though such overbearing pressure. She set her mask in place.

_Defensive tactics. They must be stopped here._

"I want all of the servants within these castle walls to be organized. Any able-bodied man is to be armed, and send the woman through the catacombs. I'll have Olaf and Marshmallow alerted and made to follow after them." With the steadily-spoken commands given, the advisors rushed off to carry out her words.

She set into a quick pace as she ascended the stairs of her home. With the halls memorized, she was able to continue her pace as she focused on finding Marshmallow. Reaching around her head, she finally found the glow that signified another presence.

_Marshmallow._

_I am always here…_

_You saw._

It was clearly not a question.

_The power…_

_I know, I know! I want you to take Olaf through the catacombs. Other women will be traveling with you. Head towards North Mountain and-_

_He won't want to leave…_

_I didn't ask what he wanted, did I!?I said take him away!_

Fear and self-hatred made Elsa snap at her closest ally. She was sure that Marshmallow could sense the self-degrading feelings within her.

_Of course… And you…_

_Just keep him safe! I have my purpose and you have yours. You swore yourself to me! Now, get him out of here!_

_Always… Be safe… my mother…_

Elsa's stride stuttered to a stop as an unsuspected wave of warmth traveled through her. It spread from her head and flowed through every particle of her body, sending love and admiration as it remained. It was coming from Marshmallow in his attempt to comfort her.

Tears burned in her eyes, but before she could apologize to the creature, his focused was turned elsewhere. Most likely to Olaf.

_I am truly an idiot._

The memory of way she'd spoken to the closest thing she had to family made her wince in shame. But she pushed through this and notice that she was climbing the stone stairs of the Southern tower of the castle. Which was the tallest from the others and gave a perfect view of both the village and the fjord. Reaching the top and rushing out towards the balcony, she took in the scene.

The village was coated in snow, which were the remains of the ice dome. The slithering appendages crawled over the village to create a dark lattice against the soft white. Troops had already disembarked their ships and were marching to take the castle. The fjords waters were still a swirling mess of foaming water and twitching tentacles. Every detail seemed enhanced by the bright sunlight that streamed from above.

For now, she concentrated on the approaching troops. Not surprisingly huge in numbers, she was certain as to eliminate them quickly. This was to leave herself undisturbed to deal with the real menace.

Centering her being, she created more golems as the army approached. The courtyard was filled with the giants as she made as many as she could. She also made the necessary changes as to deal with the overpowering strength of the hidden creature. A sigh slipped out; both of exhaustion and sadness. She shook off the clinging emotions and set herself to be ready.

As soon as encroaching army made their way to the opposite end of the bridge beyond the castle walls, she made the ice-incrusted doors swing open. The ground shook as the 500 hundred golems thundered their way to war. As expected, the ice golems were confronted with thousands of tentacles straining to stop them. But this time, the living restraints stretched and snapped under the pressure that Elsa's forces were displaying.

The steady formation of the troops was broken apart as the golems charged headlong into the fray. Screams and roars mixed into an unholy choir.

Once the mass of soldiers were preoccupied, Elsa let loose a barrage of ice spears to rain from above.

* * *

"Marshmallow! We have to go back! Elsa's still back there!"

The boy's high-pitched yell resonated through the halls of his home. But now, it didn't feel much of a home as fear and anxiety filled the air. But he focused all of his youthful body's might into freeing himself from the snowy beast he's called a brother.

A pained growl answered as Marshmallow struggled to carry the squirming boy on his arms. After his commands were given, he immediately snatched up the boy and carried him down. Olaf could tell that his sister told Marshmallow something bad and that Marshmallow didn't want to leave.

Even without eyes, the snowy bear-leopard was clearly indecisive. Olaf saw this and took his chances.

"Elsa's family, Marshmallow! We can't leave her!" He shrieked out.

"Safe…" the word was dragged out and only a garbled-growl, but Olaf understood.

"You always keep me safe! But who's going to keep Elsa safe?!" Fear and panic were in his yell and he struggled some more. But he stopped once Marshmallow stopped moving. The bear-leopard posture exposed his faltering motives; his head swinging one way to another.

Olaf knew he wasn't going to get out by sheer force; Marshmallow was too strong. He couldn't hold back his emotions anymore and his tears burned as they traveled down his face. He let his head hang down from his hopelessness and he could only whimper now. Plead.

"Please, Marshmallow." He sobbed. "Please, I need my sister. Please…"

After a moment of silence, Olaf felt himself be shifted into the giant's lap and be cradled to his bulky, cold chest. Olaf began to cry in earnest as he continued his begging and old memories began to swamp him. Memories of his parents, of a happier Elsa, and of an absolutely horrible night.

As Marshmallow looked down at the broken little boy, he finally made his decision.


	8. Ch 8: Truth

**AN: Hello, again, my pretties. Another fortnight, another update. Please review and enjoy.**

**Disclaimer: I deny everything! …Well, except my brain. I need to accept my brain, even if it's weird a lot of the time.**

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Chapter 8: Truth

_Left… left… left, right, left… and repeat._

Background noise was useless to anybody. Why pay close attention to something that was too low and garbled to make itself present enough to be noticed? But Anna was never just anyone. No matter how monotonous it was, she listened to everything.

It was hard for her. Just staying in place and listening. She used to be a girl of action. But life was an excellent, if not cruel, teacher.

Mostly, she heard the thundering march of the men at her side and the clogging stride of Sitron. This wasn't the most important aspect, so she tuned it out. She instead divided her attention between peeking at the villagers, safely trapped within the cocooned homes to the castle ahead, which was quickly becoming reinforced with thick sheets of ice.

Quickly, she made the grasses and weeds around the castle walls tuck seeds within the cracks and crevices of the structure before they were closed over with frost.

Anna had tried to stop her before she made it back into the stone (and now ice) fortress, but the Snow Queen was quick on ice. She was in her element.

She continued to march with her mind fully preoccupied with gathering every aspect of information. Her now jade-green orbs were dull and unfocused. She wasn't seeing the ground before her, but her stride never faltered. No one would notice that her mind was clearly nowhere near the procession, since her legs stilled marched.

Meanwhile, her mind's eye kept jumping around from one viewpoint of the siege to another. All from the sight of the flora. A seaweed stem crushing an iceberg in the fjord, to a weed's leaf straining against the chill of the ever-creeping frost, to a seed resting against cold stone, to a blooming flower in a well-tended garden, and so on…

_Wait, what?_

Taking a second glance, Anna looked at the garden again. It was a small and secluded garden with exotic specimens of flowers. The one Anna was looking through was a type she had never encountered before. But what really drew her attention was the sight of someone… and something.

The 'someone' was a child. A young boy with black hair who was most likely no older than 10 years. He was playing with the petals that had drifted into the water of a small fountain.

The 'something' was a snow beast. Muscles, teeth, and tendons of ice clearly stood out against the snowy pelt. Unlike the other golems, this one took a more animalistic form. He stood protectively near the small child, watching over with an eyeless gaze.

What should have been nothing, but a second glance turned into an unending stare. Anna could not look away. She couldn't even try. Her mind froze on the scene while her body continue to march numbly.

The child soon walked away from the fountain and went to the blooming flora. More specifically, he went closer to the one Anna was looking through. And all Anna could comprehend was the twinkle of sapphire imbedded into his eyes. A light she believed she would never see again.

_Kristoff…_

Anna didn't even notice the lone tear traveling down her cheeks. She noticed nothing else in the world, but the shade of purest blue. Her mind was reduced to nothing. This time, she shut everything out. Every nuance of thought was gone and every pulse of data was ignored. She could only drink up the cooling blue water within those eyes.

Every intake only fueled her thirst to see them. She wasn't there. But she had to be. She must be. For it was the only water that could quench her. Could clean her.

But she still could not look away to do anything. At least, until the snow beast snatched away the cooling balm and within a blink of an eye, rushed up into the castle.

_NO!_

The shock and anger at being denied such an unexpected blessing thrust her out of her trance. The emotions were too strong to stay immersed with them. The dullness of her eyes snapped back into focus with a vengeance. And what she saw was chaos.

She was in a hell-storm of giant golems, dying men, screeching metal, ripping flora, and descending spears.

With Anna being so entranced with her discovery, she never noticed that the group had neared the imposing castle. She never noticed them crossing the bridge. She never noticed the gates being opened and the stampeding golems.

The flora had acted on the instinct to protect their source of energy and had sprung into action. But without the guidance that Anna usually provided, their energy was wasted as the reinforced creatures barreled through the uncoordinated restraints and into the crowds. Anna didn't even hear the death screams until that very moment. How she survived the first wave was unknown as she was in the front lines.

But clues laid in the fact that she was lying down and partially cocooned in a web of sturdy seaweed and wispy grass. And in that web, her hatred was stroked into a hellfire.

_How… HOW DARE IT… TAKE HIM AWAY!_

Her hatred spewing at the snow beast that she barely paid attention to. That had taken away the blessed blue. That had dared to take the sacred blue away from her.

This time there was no slow build. No waiting. Only an explosive wave. It still contained the same meanings as in the slow itch that crawled forth on the voyage. To main, mutilate, and decimate. All at once, it flowed to every nerve-ending in her body and the tempting whispers were now horribly loud commands.

_SILENCE THEM, CRUSH THEM… ALLOW ME!_

That was an offer Anna could never refuse.

The haze settled completely and with it, all of Anna's hesitations had vanished. She didn't hold back as she reduced the newly made golems to ice splinters or caved in the great stone castle wall. She didn't hesitate to catch every single last spear and launch it back into the castle grounds. She didn't take a second glance at the dying men at her feet.

Walking through puddles of blood, the haze was parted to show the crumpled wall. A flick of the hand and the pile of rubble was pushed to the side. A pathway was clear. Before Anna could stride into the castle grounds, someone called out her name.

"Anna!"

_Hans._

A high-pitched whinny accompanied Hans's voice and confirmed Sitron's safety. He was part of the front lines… he must had used Sitron to run when the wave of golems charged. She didn't even look back. Not this time.

Anna was nothing, but grateful when another wave of spears descended from above. This time, her vines and leaves only protected her from the onslaught. But they couldn't continue that forever. A glance upwards and a flash of white from above confirmed her suspicions. The Queen was attacking from the towers. Another blink and those towers were collapsing.

She didn't hear anything else as she strode to the castle doors. The crack of wood was loss on her as the doors were busted inward. A handful of men armed with impromptu weapons stood in her way. They were gone as quickly as they appeared. Beneath her feet, pollen dust responded and showed her that so much more made up a proper castle.

She saw the number of rooms in the stone fortress, the servants traveling through some underground tunnels, and the ice beast carrying the boy to one of the entrances of said tunnels.

A single footfall and the entrances and exits of the tunnels were sealed, trapping the men and women underground. Every instinct imbedded into her being was trained on the beast, her stride turning into a run towards the prize in its grasp.

The fitted armguards stretched and crawled along the contours of her body. Now, with it being stretched from head to toe, the ironwood lengthened her strides and increased their power to create a breakneck speed. This turned out to be extremely needed as the ice beast was rushing to-and-fro from one entrance of the tunnels to another.

_But it's not getting away. Not this time._

With her speed aided by the tendrils wrapped around her own limbs, (or maybe it was the haze that killed Anna's sense of time) she reached the dead-end in no time. As she entered, the beast turned around and Anna finally saw with her own eyes… the blue.

The wondrous blue that was once her only home.

* * *

…_Elsa…_

He had given up. The small eight-year-old had surrendered.

All his begging and pleading had not changed his fate. Elsa had made sure that Marshmallow followed this order to the letter.

He was going to be evacuated and leave the last of his family behind.

_Just like the day mo-_

He tried his best to cut off as many of his trains of thoughts. He knew that if he stayed on for too long, they would lead to more suffering and bad memories. Even without them, memories kept flashing behind his closed eyes of that horrendous night. He tried his best to stop them, too. But, the past clung on.

Flashes of a warm dinner and laughs morphed to bitter coldness and screams. The bright, red flickers of the lights were doused in the deep crimson of freshly-shed blood. And throughout the entirety of it, the sinking feeling of being pulled away from the chaos while everyone you loved remained. Olaf tried his best, but flashes still shone through.

Suddenly, his limp body jarred at Marshmallow's unexpected stop. He blinked and rubbed the haze of tears from his eyes before looking to see what had happened.

_Huh?_

An odd-sounding breath from Marshmallow most likely mimicked Olaf's thought. Olaf knew where Marshmallow was taking him; through the catacombs and out through the back gardens undetected. He remembered Elsa warning him about the danger of going down there alone, when he was a much younger and curious toddler. The location of the entrances were all hidden behind different arrays of camouflage: ranging from paintings to false walls to stone statues.

Two of said entrances were placed in the Painting Room; which was, as it was so aptly named, a room filled floor-to-ceiling with paintings.

This particular entrance to the underground catacombs was sealed. There was no cavity behind the Joan of Arc painting. Only a flat surface of dark-coloured wood. And really tough and thick wood, since a powerful swipe with Marshmallow's claws did little to dent the obstacle.

_Are we stuck here?_

Marshmallow must have had the same idea as he quickly replaced the painting and padded towards the other entrance. The second entrance was hidden by another painting, but this one was about a woman swinging in the summer light. Yet again, they encountered the oddly smooth wood. It was as if the tunnels themselves never existed. But the hollow thud that sounded after Marshmallow's heavy head slammed upon it in a sickening head-butt proved their existence.

Olaf could feel Marshmallow's mounting stress as his muscles flexed, squeezing him slightly tighter. Replacing the painting and galloping towards the door, he galloped away from the Painting Room. Or at least, he tried to, but galloping was rather tough while two of his paws were still holding the boy to his deep chest. So, he settled for a lurching gait that had him running on three legs and holding Olaf with the last one.

The unexplained barricades of the tunnels had snapped Olaf out of his sadness. He was still frighten, sad, and confused, but for some reason, the oddness of this new mystery gave him a faint feeling. Confusion was surely there, but something else was mixed in. As if he should be remembering something.

When his body lurched to the left, Olaf looked around him and knew where Marshmallow was headed. A moment passed and they entered an elaborately decorated and long hallway. The tall windows made the area so bright that Olaf had to squint against the light. Older banners of Arendelle were hung upon the wall with all the Royal Family members immortalized in paintings. Along the sides, suits of armors were displayed with their weapons at resting position. It finished at a dead end, and at the end was the newest painting to join the hall; the one that contained his parents. Olaf tried to think of something else.

_The History Hall… yeah, it has to be behind one of the old knight's armor. Which one was it?_

Clearly Marshmallow had the better memory as he didn't hesitate to go to the seventh suit of armor on the right. Gently removing the ancient sword from the gauntlets, the wall pushed out towards the two and then skid to the right. After being set down, Olaf felt a nudge against his lower back. Marshmallow was urging him onward.

Olaf didn't push back. He had no fight left, so he began to shuffle through the threshold… and straight into a solid wooden wall.

"Oof." The breath of surprise escaped him, since he could not have made out the structure from the outside. However, it was undeniable as a few steps were taken into the threshold. "Marshmallow, this way is blocked too." A mixture of a roar and a yowl expressed the icy beast's frustrations.

Right then, the earth trembled beneath their feet and the sound of crumbling stone was faintly heard. As if something was falling down. It frightened the boy so much as to make him bump into the wood again. The moment he did, his skin came alive. He didn't move. He felt another nudge on his back to grab his attention. However, Olaf couldn't. As his eyes adjusted to the dim light, he turned his head as to stare at the wall.

His eyes traced every single grain he could find, and soon his fingers did the same. His fingertips tingled.

_This… is a lot like my sister's ice. Touching Elsa's snow feel just like this wood… only a bit warmer._

With a spark, Olaf understood.

_Someone like Elsa is here. A person with magic is here._

A full smile appeared now. Happiness and hope grew in his crest so forcefully that his head spun. He has his chance to help and he was going to take it. He just had to convince Marshmallow. Another sound of cracking earth sounded; however, this time, it was closer. He needed to hurry. Though not having much of a plan, he turned to talk to Marshmallow.

Before he could try, a roar interrupted him. But it wasn't to him.

Marshmallow was facing away from him on all fours; with his claws digging into the stone floor and his stance prepared for battle. Jagged spikes of ice began to unsheathe themselves around his neck and shoulders. And even though Olaf could not see the ice beast's face, he could imagine the bared and serrated teeth. Olaf craned his neck to see what was happening.

Someone had just entered into the History Hall. Olaf thought it was a man in a green vest who had a really bright shade of red hair. It was pulled into two braids and shone in the sun. The weirdest thing was that the person who entered had what looked like rope wrapped all around his legs and arms.

That was all he could make out of the man before Marshmallow charged. Barreling down the hall, Olaf knew what Marshmallow wanted to do. Before he could scream to warn the person, he heard a powerful voice.

"No!" The yell echoed in the hall, and within moments, he saw magic.

The ropes swung out from their place on the person's arms and legs, and grew in length. They swirled through the air like ribbons before wrapping themselves around Marshmallow's body. Harsh snaps were heard as some of the ropes broke at the ice beast's brute strength, but many still held on. A snarl of frustration was cut off at the ropes twisted themselves around Marshmallow's muzzle, making the serrated teeth useless. Many of them enwrapped both the front and back legs while other ropes anchored into the stone floor.

With a thud, Marshmallow was securely tied up. The thrashing of the beast did nothing as the solid foundation in which the ropes dug into stood strong. Throughout all of this, Olaf watched as if in a trance. As it ended, he realized his friend couldn't break them. Without thought, he raced to one of the suits of armor and grabbed one of the smaller swords on display. Rushing over to cut the ties, Olaf frozen in place when he realized what the ropes truly were.

Thick vines were moving ever so slightly, bending and stretching with the force given by the entrapped Marshmallow. And they were clearly vines, because they still had their leaves on them. He even saw a small flower on a vine that wrapped around his friend's paw.

_It is magic… just like Elsa's snow._

He could only stare. At least until he heard the footsteps coming closer. He turned around and gasped.

_She even looks like Elsa._

It was true. As the person was closer now, he saw that the man was actually a woman. And she really did look like his big sister. From the way she walked, to the freckles on her skin, and even her nose reminded Olaf of his sister, Elsa. She also looked to be the same age as his sister. While staring at her, Olaf felt Marshmallow's struggles increase in strength the closer she got.

When the woman was in front of him, she stopped and stared. Olaf looked back at her and was confused. She looked like she was about to cry. He didn't want her to cry. He never like seeing Elsa crying, and this woman looked so much like her. He knew that she was also a friend, just like his sister. It was only a feeling, but Olaf always trusted his feelings.

So, he decide to try and make her smile.

"Hi," he chirped out, "I'm Olaf and I like warm hugs."

* * *

_He sounds just like a little bird._

Anna couldn't help, but think of that when she first heard the boy speak. And she couldn't help, but smile when she heard the first words that he spoke to her.

_Warm hugs… and he's Olaf. _

"Hello, Olaf. I'm Anna and I like warm hugs, too."

Anna felt so calm at that moment. She wasn't tense or angry or even slightly paranoid. Her eyes tingled a bit and her cheeks hurt, but it was a long time since she had smiled or cried in happiness. She was just content to listen and talk to the boy. She let out a little chuckle after she realized what she had just said. But she didn't care. It felt so normal to say. She allowed herself a little pat on the back as the boy's smile and sapphire eyes grew brighter.

But she could still see. She was inside the castle in which she was besieging.

_What's he doing here? Is he a servant boy or something? His clothes say 'no', but who is he?_

She decided to get straight to the point if she was going to protect the precious sapphire.

"What are you doing here, Olaf? It's dangerous to be here right now." She couldn't keep the curiosity out of her voice.

"I know. My big sister was making me and my brother leave. My brother was going to get me out, but every time we try, the exit is blocked." The small voice answered.

"Where are your brother and sister?" There was only Olaf and herself here.

"My sister went somewhere to do something important. But I know something is wrong, because she didn't come back yet. And my little brother is right here." Olaf pointed to the icy beast bound with her vines. Her eyes widened greatly, and Olaf spoke again.

"Um, could you take away the vines? I think Marshmallow is uncomfortable."

_That thing is his little brother? And who in the world names a snow beast after a flower? Wait… if this is his little brother, is his sister… the Snow Queen?_

She allowed the thought to drift off as she waved a hand. The vines untied themselves and slinked along the floor towards her. The beast leaped to his feet and looked ready to lunge for her throat, but a stern voice called out.

"No, Marshmallow! Stop it!"

And soon enough, Anna was watching one of the weirdest conversations she had ever been present for.

The towering beast bent down to yowl at Olaf.

"She was only protecting herself. You attacked her first, and that was rude."

This time, 'Marshmallow' grumbled back.

"You don't know that. She could be here to help us."

_Uh-oh. They're talking about me. But what?_

"Um… what are you talking about?" She hesitantly asked.

"Marshmallow thinks that you're here to do something bad and that you should leave. But I know you're not. You have magic, so I know you're good. Just like my big sister." Olaf replied all of that in one rushed breath.

_Magic, huh? So, I was right. If King Magnus had skimmed that little detail, then what else hasn't he told me? Maybe Olaf has some answers. Okay Anna, be calm._

The problem was it was difficult to be her usual self as the sapphire gleamed at her. She couldn't lie or be aloof to those precious gems. Those eyes were her father's gentle patience and her brother's eternal laughter all at once. She pushed back against the memories straining to burst forth.

She had to speak truthfully. There was no choice. Her shoulders sunk slightly at that truth.

"Yes, Olaf. Marshmallow is right. I'm here to do something bad." Olaf's eyes went wide and Marshmallow started to growl. She continued.

"I was sent her to kill something. I was told that something horrible was living in Arendelle and I had to kill it. But, I don't know anymore." Anna meant every word.

The brief silence that followed was loud.

"What are you here to kill?" Olaf's voice was small now. The piercing sapphire stung Anna so much that she had to look away.

"I'm here to kill a person who killed someone else. Her name is Qu-… Elsa." Anna didn't dare to move her eyes from the floor as she continued. "But, I don't know anymore. I think someone lied to me. No one is telling me the truth anymore."

This new silence was much longer and louder.

For the first time in forever, shame started creeping in on her. She truly had sunk low to be where she was now; talking to a boy who's sister she was to kill. Desperate to shake it off, she lifted her head. Olaf's gaze was horrible to look at, but she had to ask. Things were not adding up. The supposed 'Ice Murderess' wasn't what others portrayed her to be. Anna could feel it. It stung her bones and tingled in her veins.

The earth was trying to tell her something. Guiding her to destroy the true disease. It never tried to destroy goodness. That would be nothing but a waste.

"Olaf, I need you to do me a favor a-and to promise me something? Okay?" She ignored the slight stutter. It took a moment, but Olaf shakily nodded back.

"I need to know what happened four years ago on your big sister's birthday. And I need you to promise to not lie about what happened."

"Why?" Anna winced and her eyes watered. It sounded so broken…

"Because the people who made me come here made me believe that your big sister did something bad that day. And now, I know they lied to me…" She swallowed thickly. "I need to know… Please, Olaf. Please, don't think I'm bad. I don't want to be-"

She had to stop. Her voice was trembling too much. Her head was hanging as she struggled to push against all the emotions that this day had sprung at her. Everything had changed from clear to foggy since before she had even stepped ashore.

The silence was broken by small footsteps and soon, a tiny warmth was around her right hand. Olaf only stared back at her with tears and a deep wisdom in his eyes as he tugged her arm down. He wanted her to sit on the floor. And so, she did.

Crossing her legs, she sat and watched as Olaf folded his legs underneath himself and Marshmallow joined in sitting down like a feline. The image of an icy feline was strong since the icicles around his neck and shoulders appeared as a protective mane of fur. Olaf stared at Anna for another moment before starting.

"Marshmallow was born on that day." This fact surprised Anna.

"Really?"

"Yeah. I don't know of everything that happened that day, because my nanny made sure I was safe, but Marshmallow does. He stayed to protect my sister."

Anna turned her gaze to the now serene beast. A small huff was all he said. Olaf continued.

"Not a lot of people can understand my little brother, but I can tell you what he tells me. Okay?"

This time, Anna couldn't stop the tears that had begun to slide down her cheeks.

_Thank you, Olaf… for believing in me._

"Okay…"

* * *

Everything was blurry. Everything was dark. Too dark.

Elsa couldn't move. She was pinned down by something. It hurt. But wherever she was, it was cold. The cold helped with the pain.

But she was so tired.

_Where am I?_

She heard noises. Muffled, but still there. She could hear something heavy being moved. It was getting louder.

She tried to open her eyes wider. Suddenly, she was blinded. Elsa squeezed her eyes shut and hissed at the pain. She was limp as her body was dragged out of somewhere. She fought through the pain to try and remember what was happening.

_The tower… I was fighting and then the tower collapsed. I was at the top when it fell. H-how did I survive that?_

Squinting her eyes slightly, she caught the fluffy snow that clung to her clothing in the corners of her eyes. It wasn't melting.

_The snow. I must have made it by accident._

A rough shove made an ache pulse through her entire frame. She whimpered in pain as she was roughly dragged from the pile of rubble that used to be the southern tower. She wasn't dragged far until the men stopped and one grabbed her by her hair to lift her head. She winced, but was terrified at what she saw.

The Southern Isles banner was waving proudly in the sunlight. Before her eyes, stood a man who she knew from the insignia that he carried. The seal of the Royal Family of the Southern Isles. With that and his head of fox-coloured hair, he was unmistakable.

Prince Hans Westergaard of the Southern Isles.

Some officials of the Southern Isles were standing beside Hans. The army she failed to stop was behind him and they were currently invading her home. The sight tore at her soul.

Her gaze returned to Hans as the sound of unsheathing metal rang out. He had drawn his sword and with an ugly sneer on his face, he spoke.

"Your Majesty," She didn't have the energy to stifle a shiver of disgust, "you should have known that you could not have run away from this." He pause and took a deep breath.

"I, Prince Hans of the Southern Isles, charge Queen Elsa with treason from the murder of Prince Agars of the Southern Isles. She is to be sentenced to death." He boomed all of this out loud, as if he were making a sacrifice to the gods above.

But to Elsa, it was no more than a whisper. Mostly, all she heard was the deep beating of her heart in her ears. The pain drowned out much of the world. Even her eyes were gaining small black spots in her vision. The spots were getting larger by the second. She was so tired and pain traveled thought her frame. She was too exhausted to feel anymore fear. When the man had let go of his painful grip on her hair, her head dropped. The black spots grew.

But she could feel regret and shame.

Oh, and what such painful regret she felt. She told Olaf that she would come back for him. She told Olaf that she wouldn't leave him. And she couldn't apologize to Marshmallow. On the verge of fainting, she fought her closing eyes and prayed to whichever god would listen.

_Please, please keep him safe... Olaf, I love you…_

Only then did she allow herself to sink into the darkness. Her vision failed her first, leaving her in the gloom. But before she was completely gone, an unholy roar split the air and rang in her ears.

_What…_

But she could do nothing, but sink under and fade.

* * *

**AN: Well, that happen. Comments, concerns, or informed critiques are welcome. Oh, and a quick fact, Marshmallows are more than just the fluffy sweet treat that we all know and love in s'mores. Back in Frozen's time period, marshmallows are these white flowers. They're mallows that grow mostly in... the marshes. They're actually really beautiful. If you're curious, look it up. **

**Let's hope that everyone can save Elsa. Even I don't know if they will. So, we gotta wait until the next chapter, which I'm probably typing up now.**

**So, until next time, Au revoir.**


	9. Ch 9: Shedding

**AN: Hello, my wonderful readers. Your patience is rewarded again with another chapter. Enjoy and review.**

**Oh, and warning; I get really dark at the end of this. …Sorry, but not really. I planned this all along. Wahahahaha!**

**Disclaimer: Disney, Frozen, and any other stuff I use is not mine. I just like putting them together. ;)**

* * *

Chapter 9: Shedding

_Olaf… Oh, Gods. I'm so sorry._

Echoing that train of thought, empathy and sorrow had seeped into Anna's bones.

The boy in question was cradled in the giant snow beast's embrace. Anna could just see the glittering tears trek silently down Olaf's ivory cheeks. She didn't know whether to be astounded by the strength shown at such a young age or to pity the kindred soul.

Kindred because of the loss he had suffered was so close to her own. Too close. Anna had to force her eyes shut as to keep away the swelling memories.

Nevertheless she had forced herself to hear the entirety of the story. Olaf could only tell half before breaking down to tears. Marshmallow later took over speaking the events of Queen Elsa's eighteenth birthday. Well, not 'speak' as in actual spoken words. With a flick of Marshmallow's surprisingly fluffy tail, frost was tossed into the air and shaped itself into a surprisingly elegant script. Anna was surprised to learn at what a spectacular vocabulary the ice giant had.

And Anna quickly learned that the good King Magnus has left quite a bit out of the story surrounding his son's death. Though, she wasn't too surprise at that.

Four years ago, Olaf was only a four year old child and Elsa was only a newly-aged eighteen year old woman. King Agdar and Queen Idun had a celebration called for to commemorate their eldest child's birthday and to publicly announce some good news. It was kept close to themselves as even the servants of the castle didn't know what it was.

What Anna was told made it clear that the news would never come to fruition.

Many dignitaries from far and wide were called to the celebration, and as the festivities were in full swing, it was only at that time did King Agdar announce what the grand news was: Queen Idun would be giving birth to a third child. Giving the time of peace and prosperity among all, many of the visiting dignitaries congratulated the expecting family. More fine wine was passed, and entrees were served by the dutiful and hard-working servants. The blushing mother-to-be stood tall as did both of her children, taking in the celebration in moderation.

Such warmth and peace was horribly severed by a wretched scream. All eyes seemed to have caught the moment that Queen Idun fell in a heap of fabric and blood; an arrow lodging itself deep within her chest. Following her fall was the anguished cry of the King. He fell to his knees to cradle his wife in his arms while his children broke out in tears.

A Weselton guard was the center of attention as he held an empty crossbow at his side. Before anyone else could do anything, a bang sounded throughout the hall. The doors were nearly thrown off of their hinges as numerous armed men swarmed in. All of them wearing the signature Weselton red and black colours.

Apparently, King Agdar had cut all trade routes to Weselton years ago due to some scandal that occurred. King Agdar was gravely insulted by a visiting lord from Weselton as he bluntly brought up the some of the nastier rumors surrounding the Royal Family's isolation from nearly everyone, even their own people. The visiting lord was a fool to have tried to face King Agdar's infamous temper. And now, Weselton seemed to have enough of the banishment.

The rest of the visiting dignitaries were corralled to the sides of the room as a group of men raised their weapons. King Agdar was cut down as he held his wife, and died with her in his arms. The crossbows were then trained upon the two surviving family members. Arrows flew straight and true, but they never hit their mark. Instead, they stabbed into a thick wall of glowing ice.

The impenetrable structure slowly took shape as the wall contorted in on itself. A boulder-like head, four muscular legs, and a lengthy tail took form. The creature was an odd shape of being half-feline and half-bear, though it was more fearsome than either. Hollow eye sockets blinked open to the gathering of blood and betrayal. That was the moment Marshmallow was born.

With teeth bared and claws unsheathed, Marshmallow attacked the armed men. While that happened, Elsa had grabbed Olaf and handed him off to the family's two most trusted servants; Gerda and Kai.

Anna stilled at hearing those names, but made herself listen to the rest. She would focus on that later.

Elsa ran back to Marshmallow as Olaf was lead to safety. After a night of blood and steel, many men had lost their lives. And Marshmallow clearly remembered one specific man who had drawn his sword on Elsa. The reason he was so noticeable was that he wasn't from Weselton. It was Prince Agars of the Southern Isles. He attacked Elsa and in the heat of battle, she struck him down before she could fully take notice on who was attacking her.

The reason of Agars' actions was loss as his life seeped away into death. The rest of the dignitaries were unharmed and given housing at the castle if need be, as was the wish of the late King and Queen. But Marshmallow was always on patrol and security in general was increased. Olaf was unharmed as well, but the same could not be said for Kai. On Gerda's account, a couple of soldiers had followed them in their escape. Kai had faced both of them, but had sustained serious injury. He healed, but was left with a crippled leg in the process.

Marshmallow gave Anna a certain look when she had asked for the wellbeing of Kai and Gerda, but the look disappeared after a moment. Shrugging his shoulders, he finished the tale with the King's and Queen's burial and Elsa's ascension into the throne.

And there the three of them were, still sitting in a circle. Olaf was allowing his tears to drip into Marshmallow's chest and was slightly trembling from the soothing purr from his younger brother. Anna, herself, had her eyes fixed at the end of the hall where the portrait of the late King and Queen hanged. The two were forever immortalized in a pose of tempered strength and endless wisdom.

Anna was so attentive to the story that it was only now that her thoughts began to trickle back in her mind.

_Your Majesties, wherever you may rest, please find it in your heart to forgive me. I promise that this will be set right. …Gods, I've just unearth a whole mess, didn't I? …Agars, what were you doing?_

With these thoughts circling like buzzards, Anna felt a peculiar sensation in the deeper recesses of her mind. Looking through, she saw the world through a tiny grass seed. It shivered with cold. It was surrounded by it. With a little encouragement on Anna's part, it swiftly grew and it's view was broadened. Snow was tangled around the roots and the stem was bent against a mountain of snow. And one of the roots brushed against something neither stone nor snow, since it held a pleasant warmth.

_Elsa. _

As the little grass seed finally reached sunlight, Anna could see that the seed was in the remains of a castle tower. Several approaching men began to shift the heavier boulders. Behind them, a great number of troops marched past meaning they must have defeated the resistance. Meaning that Elsa was vulnerable.

Dragging herself back to the hall, she leapt to her feet. She had no time to lose.

"Olaf. Marshmallow. Get up. We have company."

In the span of time that it took the two to accomplish standing, she had drifted her mind around the entirety of the village. All the villagers remained incarcerated within their own homes, hunks of ice outside the castle gates were all that remained of the last wave of golems, and the servants scrambled for a way out from beneath. The more glances she took at each situation, the more pieces of a plan began to click into place.

_Maybe, that could work._

Her voice resonated with power and urgency to efficiently cut off any argument with her orders.

"Marshmallow, I need you with me. The mercenaries have breached the castle grounds." She barely spared him a glance before turning to Olaf. As she began speaking to the little prince, she lowered her voice.

"Olaf, I need you to be ready to accomplish an important mission." That was all she needed to say as the puffy eyes were trained entirely on her. "You must go into the catacombs and lead all the castle servants back here. We are going to need as much help as possible."

"But what about Elsa? She's still missing! I won't leave her al -"

"Olaf!" She hated the flinch of the sapphire eyes, but they truly had no time. The men were getting closer to Elsa, and Anna knew that she would be in no condition to fight. She knew what he now felt. The worry, fear, and the horror. And it killed her to send him away from his only family, but there was no choice. Still, she had to let him know what she truly felt.

Dropping to a knee, she spoke her next words at Olaf's eyelevel.

"Olaf, I swear to you, I will find and protect your sister with every drop of power within me. I need you to believe in me. And I need you to help me." She swallows thickly. "I did everything wrong. And I'm an idiot and I'm so sorry to put you through all of this. But if you believe that me and Marshmallow will save your sister, you will give us the most powerful thing. You will give us the power to keep Elsa safe, because your belief is powerful."

Olaf's eyes were stretched wide as he stared at Anna.

"You have your own magic. Your own power. Believe that your sister will be safe and she will be. Believe in us to protect her." As she said this, Anna reached around her own neck and removed the silver chain. The tree pendant glowed with its monochromatic coloring; one side dead and the other side alive. Olaf seemed transfixed on the stone as it was slipped around his slender neck. The height difference between Anna and Olaf made the pendant rest upon his stomach.

"This will protect and guide you when you are down in the catacombs. I trust you to keep this safe as much as I trust that it will keep you safe. This is the true working of magic; believing without seeing." Teal and sapphire seemed unbreakable in their locked gazes. But the view in the back of Anna's mind still showed her Elsa's predicament, and it wasn't looking good.

Just as she was about to speak her parting words, the air was squeezed out of her as thin arms wrapped around her.

"I believe you. Please be safe." Such few words, and yet they warmed her as if she was given a ray from the blazing sun. Wanting that feeling to remain but knowing the situation at hand, she hugged him back as quickly and as tightly as possible. When letting go, she heard something that set her soul ascending.

"You give really warm hugs." She didn't know if she should have heard that as the little boy went to Marshmallow to give his hug. It was muttered, as if he was thinking out loud. Perhaps he has that unlucky habit, too. Parting ways, Anna watched as Olaf entered the maze-like catacombs with the assistance of her necklace.

Turning around, she had to skid to a halt as she nearly came face to face (well, snout) with Marshmallow. The hollow eye sockets flashed a soft blue as her stared at her. A flick of the nimble tail and words formed in the air.

"_What shall we do? It's two against two thousand. The odds are clearly not in our favor."_

"Actually, it's only one thousand. And who said we had to fight each and every one of them?"

Before Marshmallow could respond again, Anna was undoing the buttons that held the vest she currently wore close. Reaching into the open vest, Marshmallow caught a glance of multiple small pockets that were delicately sown on the inside. Only reaching into one of the pockets on her left-handed side, she withdrew a handful of what looked like very thin and tiny pieces of wood. Seeing the icy beast's confusion, she explained.

"They're seeds. Specifically, bamboo seeds from China's Northern Provinces. I would explain more, but now we have bigger worries. Go get Elsa; I'll be along quickly." Without a glance back, Marshmallow swiftly bounded off.

Finally being alone, Anna reached back into her vest but onto the right-handed side. This time, she withdrew only a single seed. This one was even thinner and smaller than the bamboo seeds. She allowed it to lay in her left hand and with a pulse, watched it grow. Hair-like roots snaked around Anna's wrist and a stem grew up to expose a flower. A lone white dandelion.

Bending her head down, she whispered to the fragile being.

"You know of what I have already asked of you. But I need one more thing. After your task is done, retrieve Prince Agars' personal journal. It is imperative that it is found." With the new orders sealed, she whispered a small prayer. "Fly home straight and safe, my friends."

A deep breath in and a steady breath out was all it took to disperse the flower. Anna took a small moment to watch the cotton-white seeds drifted up and dance in the air. Then, she strode to the nearest window and unlatched it. As the seeds drifted past her into the uninhibited sky, they brushed against her cheeks in a silent farewell. One of the smaller seeds even got caught in her hair. Anna let out a small chuckle as she untangled the unlucky one from her hair. She carefully held out her hand and let the small being be swept up in a strong breeze.

Even when they disappeared from her sight, the skin on her cheeks stilled tingled. But now she had to hurry. They had their purpose and she had her own. Taking a glance around the hall, her jade-green eyes briefly paused on certain objects before looking down at the small pile of bamboo seeds in her right hand. A mischievous smile began to grow on her lips.

_This is going to be fun._

* * *

_This is my chance. Everything in my life was to strengthen me… to prepare me for this moment. _

Hans felt an absolutely intoxicating amount of power. It rushed up his spine, traveled through his hair, and tingled in his bones. Even his hands shivered slightly as they clutched his trusted sword. For before him, the great Snow Queen of Arendelle was kneeling at his feet. The pristine white of the woman was marred by the small scrapes of red blood. Probably from the collapse of the tower. The look in her eyes screamed exhaustion and pain. She had no fight left.

He had just finished his sentencing for her well-deserved death. The mercenary who held the Queen's head up by her silky hair released it. Now her head was bowed in a perfect position for an execution. All he ever wanted was at his feet. Recognition, praise, and power were finally within his grasp. And all he needed to do was kill the wretched witch who took his brother's life away.

Agars was one of the few who did not spend every waking moment of his life making Hans's own life miserable. Once in a blue moon, Agars was even encouraging to the younger prince. It made his task all the easier to kill the witch separating him from power and who separated him from a somewhat well brother.

_But I will forgive her. All she needs is to give me her life._

His entire frame vibrated slightly as he raised the iron sword up, ready to end her life and begin his own. Before he could even twitch a single muscle downward, a heart-stopping roar echoed out.

Whirling around, he saw a large mass of white barreling towards the group and just had enough time to dived out of the way. Fear lanced up his spine at the sound of crunching bones and splattering meat. Scrambling towards his feet, he got a better look at the creature that was attacking them.

It was clear that it was another snow creation of the Queen's, but this one was different. The earlier ones looked somewhat human; with one head, two arms, and two feet. The one that was currently standing over the unconscious Queen was animalistic; crouching on all fours and had its blood-strained fangs bared. It looked like a demonic lion as his mane of icicles shimmered in the sunlight. Around the savage beast was the rest of the group who were with him in gory pieces.

Wasting no time, the mercenaries began to surround the beast. They knew how to handle the walking terror. After Anna's disappearance, the remaining men had disabled the remaining golems. Though with casualties, they had succeeded.

_Speaking of Anna, I'll have her head if it's the last thing I'll do._

"Surround it! Take out the legs!" Hans's order was drowned out by another deep roar. Wicked claws lashed out and caught several men, ripping open flesh and severing muscles. Spears and arrows were launched back, but the mane around his neck blocked many of them. Several landed on its shoulders and side, but it seemed to not care. Again, the demon lion lashed out, scattering aside harden men like pebbles. Behind it, Queen Elsa laid still.

More men came from around. The sheer number of battle-harden men was making a difference as more arrows, spears, and even axes rain down upon the ice beast. Some of the arsenal were lit with fire, burning the creature as they landed. Now it was on the defensive; more concerned with protecting its creator, but having nowhere to go. It was cornered.

Hans pushed himself forward and stood before it. He swallowed his trepidation as the glowing hollows that were meant to be eyes landed on him. The savage snarl was transformed into a yowl of pain as another flaming spear hit its paw. The victory was so close, but the beast stubbornly stood firm.

_Just a bit more and this will be –_

An earthshaking sound vibrated in the air, cutting off his thought. It seemed to be coming from within the castle. It was a beat; a steady rhythm almost like a drum.

Boom, Boom, Boom, Boom.

The beats grew faster in pace. Each hit meshing closer with another. The rhythm could be felt moving through the ground.

_What is this?_

As if answering Hans's thoughts, his eyes caught a mass of movement that was seen beyond the front doors of the castle. By now, the rhythm was loss as the mass charged at them with frightening speed. Reaching the sunlight, iron and bronze were lit up as hundreds of men began pouring out of the castle. The sound of metal clashing with metal erupted as they hit the invading force. Hans had to raise his own sword in defense as a giant broadsword was trained on him.

Armor screeched and bent as blows were landed while aiming to spill each other's blood. Even though Hans himself was in a heated battle of his own, he saw that all of the bodies that joined the fight wore old and outdated armor. But he could not think of anything else but to dodge and parry the bludgeoning strikes. Feinting right but really coming from the left, Hans was able to make a shattering blow on the helmet, making it sail right off the head.

Instantly, he wished he hadn't.

The face that looked at him wasn't a man. Instead, it wasn't even a face and the head was made from wood. No eyes to see, no nose to breathe, and no mouth to yell, but the thing still fought on. Like a bewitched wooden puppet. Looking at his peripherals, he noticed other creatures leaping into the fray that all seemingly made from the same matching materials: wood and metal.

Parrying another blow, Hans slashed at its head. It didn't seem to notice the slight indent as it kept fighting on. Hans felt himself being pushed back. His arms were straining and his breath was ragged. He couldn't think of anything to do before he lost his footing on something.

Hitting the cobblestone floor with a wet splat, he felt a wetness seep into his clothes. The smell and a glance down confirmed it to be blood; he had tripped over a bleeding corpse.

A harsh kick to his wrist sent his sword out of Hans's hand. Defenseless, he could do nothing as something snaked around his forearms and tightly tied them behind his back. The same was done to his legs. The puppet-soldier that he fought grabbed one arm as another came from nowhere and grabbed his other arm. They lifted him with ease and began carrying him.

While they carried Hans to gods knows where, he got a better look at the battlefield. Blood coated the ground as death was served to Hans's forces. More of those puppets in armor fought with the strength and endurance of ten men as the mercenaries fell before their swords. But they didn't need their swords to be deadly.

Hans learned this as his eyes locked on a battle between four armed men against one of those things. A powerful strike from a war-hammer had knocked away the sword from the creature. But it didn't even flinch as living tendrils leaked out from the cracked armor and launched themselves at the men. Two of the men had those vines strangling them while the other two ran for their lives. It was in vain as they encountered another of those creatures in their path.

Hans's horrified eyes were wrenched from the battle as he was dragged away. Forcing his gaze forward, he realized he was being carried towards the castle doors. With the bright sun overhead, the interior was cast in shadows, but Hans could just make out the silhouette of a person standing at its threshold. So focused on the figure, he didn't notice the pair of wooden creatures stop until he was thrown at the floor.

The jarring impact knocked the breath out of him as he squirmed in his restraints. When he was able to wiggle onto his side, his green eyes locked onto the figure who now stood in the sunlight.

"Anna?" he gasped out.

The strawberry blonde woman stood tall where she was. A small smile was etched on her face, while her eyes emanated a calculating coldness. His own eyes widened as he truly noticed how her jade-green eyes regarded him.

"Of course it's me, little Hans. It couldn't be anyone else." The smile grew a little bit wider. "Look. Look and see what I am truly capable of. Of the army I have raised, of the blood I am shedding."

Anger spiked through Hans's being. "Yes, I see! But you gave your word! You were supposed to be with us, not against us! What is this about?!" Even through that, Anna retained her chilling calmness.

"Oh, this shouldn't be a surprise to you. You sentenced these good men to their deaths."

Hans opened his mouth to yell again, but vines choked his speech. Now, bound and gagged, Anna reached down and lifted him with one hand. Bringing his frightened gaze close to hers, she continued with a hardened voice.

"Don't you start spitting your lies at me again! You think I didn't know that you were planning to imprison me? You think I didn't know that you were planning to usurp your dear father's throne?" His eyes widened slightly as Anna's voice turned mocking.

"You know, your father is a very generous man. He even allowed me to stay within his home before we came here. And while I was staying there, I did find this most interesting little book. It had all of your devious little plots and schemes all under a little leather cover."

A small giggle left her lips.

"You really should take better care of your playthings, little Hans. There's no telling where they could walk off to. And one night, your journal walked into my arms." Fear now drenched Hans. He could do nothing as Anna leaned closer into his ear.

"It's a good thing that you won't be making that mistake again. I'll personally make sure of that."

With that last threat echoing in his ears, he felt himself be thrown back and being grabbed again. Hans let out a pained grunt as he was handled not by steel fingers, but by thick, living vines. The restraints on his arms and legs released, but the thicker appendages held him still despite his struggles. The gag on his mouth remained in place. His arms and legs were stretched out as he was lifted off the ground. He could do nothing but grunt in confused terror at what was going to happen. When the appendages slowly began to pull, his panicked breathing halted in his chest.

Slowly, but surely, the pressure increase. The pure strength of his restraints was evident in the increasing pull. He began to scream as muscle started to complain, but they were muffled. Struggle as he might, they continued their slow pull. A dull pop in his shoulder made him screech into the gag; it was dislocated.

But it didn't stop.

Three more pops indicated the dislocation of his other shoulder and his two hips. Muscles and tendons were stretched painfully long and began to quiver. It didn't take long for them to snap like twine. His wrists and ankles were crushed with the pressure used to pull their attaching limbs. His elbows and knees weren't any better as they were dislocated. Hans's muffled screams were never-ending as more muscles tore and flesh separated. And with a final savage wrench, all four of his limbs were pulled clean off; blood rushing out of the open wounds.

Without the vines holding him up, he crashed to the floor. Tears blurred his vision and the excruciating pain blurred his mind. All he knew was pain. But could do nothing to stop it. He was nothing more than a bloody stump, and could only screech and sob pitifully into the gag as he laid on the hard ground. The stumps that used to have his arms and legs throbbed horribly, and all he could do was screw his eyes shut and pray for the pain to end.

It seemed to last for hours.

But slowly, almost mockingly slow, the pain did recede. His vision had gain weird black spots and the throbbing lessened. As the spots grew bigger, the pain grew duller. He was so wrapped in pain, he couldn't notice the pool of blood that steadily grew to surround him. But before his vision was completely incased in darkness, he opened his eyes to catch two spots of calming green. They appeared almost plaintive of the pathetic creature. He begged with his eyes to those green lights for some sort of sanctuary.

_Please… please._

But the lights slowly hardened, turning to stone. No longer gentle, but harsh and unforgiving. The black spots finally inked out his sight. But it took longer for the pain to leave him in an unending darkness.

* * *

**AN: Man… I seriously have a twisted head. But in my brain's defense, I really wanted to do something like that when I watched Frozen for the first time. I got inspired by the medieval technique of being dismembered by four horses. **

**Instead, I changed it from four horses into four living vines. *Shudders***

**But I did love the living soldiers better. Bamboo is the best material that I could imagine since it's flexible to allow movement, but strong enough to support the weight of the armor and the strength of hits.**

**Still, concerns, comments, and ****informed**** critiques are still welcomed. So, if you'll excuse me, my brain needs some seriously strong chill pills. Until next time, Au revoir. **


	10. Ch 10: Butterfly Roses

**AN: Hello, beautiful world! Another update for your enjoyment. If any of you had noticed, I kind of changed my summary for this story. A reviewer said that it was really vague, and taking another look at it, it really was. So I decided to flesh it out a bit more. Honestly, I think I'm bad at writing summaries. **

**Oh, and I think I have to put this in. So, READ THIS PART BEFORE BEGINNING:**

**In this story, the little *0*0* symbols mean that a memory/flashback is happening. There are two of them and the memory/flashback is in between them. A line break means a point of view change. Just so you guys don't get confused because both are in this chapter.**

**Well, without further ado, do enjoy. ;)**

**Disclaimer: Don't own a thing, but I'm having a blast making my stories.**

Chapter 10: Butterfly Roses

*0*0*

It was chaos. Absolute chaos had consumed her home.

Ashes soared high to sting her teal eyes. Smoke clung to her lungs and made her cough horrible. Screams of people and the roaring of the flames deafen her youthful ears. Her feet were burnt as she ran across torched earth. But she had to keep running.

Because she had to find Papa and Kristoff. They were working in the orchards next to the river. They were supposed to be harvesting them for the approaching winter.

But now, the air was sweltering hot as it tried to choke her. Running through the town gates, the little eight-year old child sprinted towards the orchards at the outskirts of her home. The air cleared slightly but she didn't stop or slow down. No matter how badly her lungs stung or her legs ached, she kept running. She had to find them. She had to warn them.

As she got closer, she saw that the rich peach trees were set aflame. But it didn't matter. Papa and Kristoff were there. She had to get to them. She ran straight through the dying trees, even as they too seemed to holler in agony. The heat was suffocating. All the sounds were confusing and hurting her head. She screamed.

"Papa! Kristoff!"

Her only thoughts were disjointed and frightful.

_Papa… Kristoff… Papa… Kristoff._

The pounding of her little heart was in her ears. She ran blind as the ash got in her eyes. Harshly rubbing her eyes, she didn't see the pile on the ground before tripping over it. Her hands were scrapped and bleeding, but before she could think anything, she looked back at what tripped her.

Her eyes went wide and her heart hitched. The smell of burnt flesh and singed reindeer fur assaulted her throat and made her cough. Tears streamed down her face and she stumbled to her feet. She sprinted away from Marta's prone form; her long legs crooked and the crown of antlers had been sawed off. She ran and ran. Ran through rows of dying branches and weeping roots. She had to find them.

"PAPA! KRISTOFF"

*0*0*

…

…

BOOM!

Teal eyes wrenched open at the explosion of sound. With a sleep-dazed and panic-filled mind, she called forth at any sort of protection. Something quickly encircled her into a cocoon; snuggly and safe. Still, her breath was ragged and her skin was drenched in sweat. As her mind slowly woke up, Anna found it odd that nothing hit her shield that she had instantly called. Usually, it wasn't this quiet.

_Wait, there's something. _

The sound of little pats were able to reach her ears. They were too irregular to be footsteps and too loud to be completely safe. Curiosity nibbled at her and she decided to take a look. She shifted whatever had covered her enough to make a small window to look out of.

She took every detail in with intense concentration. It was late. Very late. But the moon was smothered by the horrid storm that raged outside the window. Anna shifted her gaze. She was in the Queen's master bedroom. She was sitting in a soft chair next to a dead fireplace. She had not changed from her vest, long sleeved shirt, and pants from earlier. But her boots were off and her hair was undone from their braids.

A large, triangular window allowed the room to be bathed in the frequent flashes of lightning. A dresser was in one corner, a working desk in another, and a little table next to a bed. The large, ornate bed was against the far wall and she could just make out two forms on the bed; one being much larger than the other. They stood out easily from the darkness of the room with their pale complexions.

Finally, she remember. And she sort of wished she hadn't.

_Oh, I'm still here._

Anna began to remember many things as they flashed before her mind's eye. That she was still in Arendelle. That the ice was bitter cold while the sun shone strongly. That the castle was in ruins. That Marshmallow and Olaf told her the truth of that stupid day. That the siege had been a fraud. Elsa lying unconscious within powerful, white forearms. Hans dying at her feet. Olaf soaked to the bone. Marshmallow beaten to hell and back. The blood. The silence that followed.

A headache was blooming underneath her skull. Swiftly calling away the cocoon, she raise her hands to massage away the horrid pain. It began to throb behind her eyes. Closing the teal orbs, she continued to massage her temples while taking deep breaths. Long moments past, but the throbbing only receded somewhat as the constant patting of rain lashed at the window.

_Wow, it's really pouring out there._

An answering flash of lightning and boom of thunder seemed to agree with her. She cracked her eyes open to glare at the loud eruption battering her ears.

To Anna, it seemed that after the chaotic battle on earth had ended, the heavens had to mirror it with a chaotic battle within the endless sky. What had started as a clear day had ended with a cloud-covered evening, the ground soaked with both blood and rainwater.

Anna's now teal eyes traced the trails of the falling droplets on the clear glass. The storm that had sprung up just after Anna had finished clean-up duty upon the ransacked kingdom. It wasn't hard per say, just mentally exhausting. The issue was that no matter how many times she did it, it was never easier. The village itself was left nearly untouched; the vines that ensnared the villagers within their homes had protected them and the structures.

That was the easy part; the castle was the annoyingly difficult part.

She forcefully stood from the chair with an irritated huff. She cared too much about her unstable mental state to risk thinking of the infuriating whirlwind that made up the castle.

To her confusion, a woolen blanket fell to the floor. She recognized it because she used the same one to keep Olaf from freezing to death after his return. Apparently, the catacombs were in worse shape than anyone had ever though, even herself. All the servants and the little boy sent down to the tunnel came back up dripping wet. Honestly, they could have jumped into the fjord and Anna wouldn't be able to tell the difference.

Picking up the thick blanket, she walked towards the bed. Laying on the feathered mattress were none other than Olaf and Elsa.

Sometimes, Anna could easily forget that she had a heart. But Olaf had just made it melt, so she must have one. The little boy was curled up like a newborn pup, while he clung to his sister's arms like a spider monkey. He seemed to shiver slightly, but a faint smile was on his lips.

BOOM!

_How can he sleep though this monster of a storm with a smile of his face?_

But she already knew that answer. A serene smile etched her lips as she laid the blanket over his form and then ran her finger through his hair.

It was still slightly damp.

Glancing back, she called up the foliage that she had previously made to shield her. They were grape vines and they slithered towards her at the call. The long vines condensed on themselves to become thinner and more rigid, but still moved with surprising flexibility. Vines coiled around her arms and shoulders, while thin roots rested at her fingertips. Threading her fingers through pitch-black hair again, the roots moved to draw in the lingering moisture into itself.

Doing this several times, the hair grew as fluffy and dry as lamb's fur. But his pale skin still felt cold. Too cold for her liking. Anna strode to the cold hearth and quickly stacked in the logs. The logs were long dead, so she felt nothing from the logs as she used them to quickly stroked a fire to life. But the grape vines trembled at the presence of their age old foe. She petted them soothingly and calmly moved away. Taking the chair away from its spot and positioning it next to the bed, she was going to try and get some more sleep.

BOOM!

_Well, that's a no to sleep. I wish I knew where the library was around here._

With that and another quick glance at the sleeping siblings, she left the room without a sound. Apparently, all the Royal Families had to be tutored in nearly all the arts. Even if the Southern Isles were different from Arendelle, but they both had things in common; wealth, power, and knowledge. So, where there's knowledge, there's books.

The problem was finding it. But a long walk wasn't too bad either.

She didn't want to think, so just allowed her feet to trace a random path. Turning left, right, and right again. Going up one staircase and down another, she felt alone with the echoing thunder and flashes of light. The isolation was peaceful after the stress of the day. The soothing walk worked until Anna bumped nose-first into something hard and ended up on the floor.

"Ow," She groaned out. She gave the tendrils that encircled her shoulders a dirty look.

_And now, I get hurt from a door. Perfect._

Sadly, the stems and vines that can crush boulders to dust and tear limbs off of men only do so when they're told to by Anna or there's an immediate threat. In the flora's opinion, smashing one's face into a door doesn't qualify as a threat.

Brushing herself off, she looked around to find herself rather lost. She didn't recognize the corridor she was in, but didn't worry too much. She hasn't been exploring for such a long time and what better time to do so than now. The door she bumped into was actually a double door with not one, but two locks. A sly smile made its appearance on her lips.

_Hmm, mysterious… let's see what we can do to change that._

The vines stretched away from her form and encircled the lock. Thinner stems made their way into each key slots and twisted the intricate gears one side and then another until… Click and…Click!

"I'm getting too good at this," she said with that same grin still in place. Quietly pushing the doors in and breathing in the oddly frigid air that flew out, Anna took a look at what she instantly deemed as paradise.

The pantry.

It almost brought tears to the young woman's eyes. She walked into the room as if in a daze. So many delicacies and so many delicious ingredients that laid all in one place and hidden by a set of doors. All from fresh fruits and meats to cream and bread were neatly lined up and organized in rows of the small, chilly room. It was beautiful.

While looking at her version of Nirvana, Anna heard a bone-chilling growl suddenly sound out… from her stomach. She couldn't even remember the last time she had eaten a proper meal.

_Well, they won't mind if I took a –_

Her eyes froze upon looking at a slightly opened box. It was a regular box; all square and other things that boxes were. But it was the words written on them that made her jaw drop. The gods were truly merciful to her.

…Chocolate.

And Anna knew that if there was a pantry, the kitchen isn't far. And in a flash, the pantry was empty of the strawberry blonde's presence and the doors were slammed shut. In the now closed and chilly room, a few things had also mysteriously disappeared too: a baguette, some cheese, a head of lettuce, one onion, one salted codfish, a bottle of cream, a bottle of milk, some sugar cubes, and an entire box of chocolate.

Another slamming of doors could be heard as Anna easily found the kitchen down another hall.

Only half an hour had passed before the vines (that were still settled on Anna's shoulders) hastily pushed open the double doors that lead to the kitchen. She had to call for assistance, since in her arms was a tray filled with multiple fish sandwiches, an empty wooden mug, and a pitcher filled with steamy hot chocolate.

Suddenly, a shudder went through the shifting appendages. Someone else was here. But she could tell who from the flash of gold in the gloomy night.

"Hi, Sea-crab." She couldn't help the small smile on her face. She needed to relax.

"Well, aren't you chipper tonight," Sebastian's deep voice sounded out.

"Of course, I am. I got all the hot chocolate and sandwiches to make me happy," Taking a good look at him, Anna couldn't hold back a chuckle, "and don't you look adorable?" Sebastian appeared to have rolled straight out of his newly given bed; bleary-eyed and wrinkled sleepwear.

"Oh, hush your trap. I can't sleep with de damn storm out like dis," he half grumbled, half whined.

"Aw, my poor baby," she suddenly pushing the tray into Sebastian's arms, "Here, hold this." Struggling to hold the sudden weight of the surprisingly heavy tray, he was left to his balance act as Anna disappeared back into the room and flashed back out with her hands behind her back.

"What was dat for? I could have dropped dis."

"But you didn't." She brought her hands in front of her to show another wooden mug. "Anyway, I'm feeling generous, so be grateful I'm sharing my delectable cooking skills." And with that, Anna walked off down the hall with the burdened Sebastian in her wake.

"Well, then I'll be going hungry because of de sandwiches."

"I'll get you some fruit for your cat's tongue," She rolled her eyes, "Honestly, you're a sailor, and you never liked fish. I still find that weird."

"Say de girl ravaging the kitchen at midnight during a hell storm," replies Sebastian with a smile in his voice. Another echo and flash from outside agreed with him.

"I've created a masterpiece that would make our dear Chef Louis cry, and you insult it with your words? You scoundrel!"

"Yes, he'll be crying in agony. Now, what's with de midnight scavenge?"

"Just like you. Can't sleep, and I can't remember the last time I ate a good sandwich. Now, hurry up. I got to get back to my post."

"Post? Since when did you start working here?"

"I don't, but the Queen and I need to have a nice talk about this whole debacle."

_And to talk about other things._

"Do you really tink dat she'll be ready to talk? Dis I'll have to see to believe." What Sebastian didn't know was that the pair had already reached the room of the said Queen.

"Well, then. We better get started."

* * *

_Ugh, too noisy._

That was all she knew as she clawed at unconsciousness. It was as if her ears were picking up every nuance of sound, but she couldn't really pay attention to them. There was a sound like shifting sand, a snapping pop, some soft murmuring, and a loud bang of some weird gong. She just wanted it to stop. But there was something else. Something that rang louder and echoed deeper in her head, making her skin tingle. Her head was starting to pound again.

But they didn't seem to hear her silent plea and their continued ruckus enticed her from sweet sleep. She felt horrid as her muscles ached and burned from exhaustion. She felt silken fabric around her fingers and a softness cradling her head. And there was a small ball of warmth curling next to her.

_Sheets and a pillow? How did I end up in a bed? And what happ-_

The ball of warmth had shifted. But it wasn't the movement that had made her freeze. It was that the movement made something stir across her chest. Something inhumanly smooth and slender was wrapped around her chest, encircled her shoulder, and even slid across her forehead. Her mind immediately remembered the same touch in the suffocating cocoon that she nearly died in. The battle of the fjord. The sword ready to take her life.

Just as her panic settled in, she barely heard someone mutter a curse.

"Oh, shit."

An outward blast of frigid cold surrounded her, and she thrashed and fought to open her heavy eyelids. The accursed touch quickly vanished from her, but something pushed her off the bed. Her eyes opened to see her flying through thin air. On instinct, she twisted herself and as she hit the snow-covered floor, she quickly rolled to her feet. Hands at the ready and feet planted in a steady stance. Or at least, she tried as her hands felt trembled with exhaustion and her feet weighed her down like lead.

And she balked at the thorny situation she was faced with.

_What!?_

Literally, standing in front of her, was a wall of thorns. A row of thorn bushes had grown several paces in front of her, however, they were monstrously tall. The longest of their branches reached from floor to ceiling. She felt herself press into a corner of the room. Whatever place she was currently in was incredibly dark, as the only light came from the glow of her own hands; giving the structure before her an ominous gloom. Though it was covered in heavy frost from her earlier blast, it still seeped an essence of malice and strength. She cautiously took a few paces forward. And as she took a closer look, it seemed that each and every frost-covered thorn was pointed at her.

_What is this? Where is this!?_

Without warning, the prickly branches began to move. Elsa stumbled back in half awe, half terror as the defensive vines unwound themselves to reveal a pathway. It parted at the very end to reveal a figure. Two green points of light locked onto her as the unknown person walked through the newly made walkway. After each step that the person took towards her, Elsa could see in her peripherals that the thorns weave themselves back into place; cutting them off access to the rest of the room.

But Elsa didn't tear her gaze from the approaching figure. Actually, she couldn't. Because she felt… something from this presence. It was obvious that whoever this was, they were not normal. But Elsa had abandoned all thought as the dull red flame of a woman's hair and the steel in her eyes became apparent. It was not long before the two were only a few strides from one another.

Arctic blue and algae green seem to glow in the silence of the two, until…

"Hi," said the hoarse, feminine voice. Considering her wrinkled clothes and slightly rumpled hair, she must have just woken up. Elsa blinked at how hoarse the woman's voice sounded. She must be just as tired as she was.

Elsa blinked again at the woman standing before her. That was all she could do to stop her weariness from showing. Habit made her instinctually hide her imperfections from this unknown person. But it didn't seem to work as the red haired woman seem to have noticed something that had betrayed herself.

"You should be resting. You got thrashed around a lot today," said the woman. That had sent arctic blue eyes to narrow as she faintly remembered her capture.

"Today," she said to herself before raising her voice, "Where am I?" The woman looked confused and slightly concerned at Elsa as she answered.

"This is your room. Don't you recognize it?" Finally looking away, she did notice that the color of paint on the walls was the same shade she woke up to for many years.

"Why am I imprisoned here? Where is Prince Hans?" Elsa's now harden voice boomed out.

_Why am I jailed in my own room? Hans was going to kill me. Does he wish to negotiate my surrender?_

"Hans is dead," the woman's voice was blunt, "and you're not jailed here. The defenses sprung up to protect the people beyond them. One of them being your little brother." In her confusion and slight faintness, Elsa didn't take in all the words. But among those array of confusing words, a deep chill stilled her at the last sentence. But it didn't stay long until anger began to swirl in her.

_It couldn't be true. She's lying. Marshmallow would never allow him in such danger. _

"Your Majesty! Listen to me!" The call snapped her attention onto equally impenetrable eyes.

"You and your brother are safe. You and Olaf are home. Hans is dead. Your people and your kingdom are safe."

Each statement was said with the preciseness and slowness that a person would talk to a frightened animal. Fury at the woman's insolence almost blinded her, but the image that the ice and frost clinging around the enclosed space reflected stopped her. Pale hands were curled into claws, eyes filled with distrust, and her frame was slightly hunched over in pain. In the reflection, the piercing blue eyes widened with shock.

Elsa didn't even recognize herself.

"Queen Elsa," this time, the voice was softer, but still caught Elsa's attention, "I have no reason to lie to you. But I know you have no reason to believe me. If you will give me the chance, I will explain all that happened from morning until now."

Even though Elsa could physically feel the sincerity within those words, she had to know one thing. Her eyes flickered back to the thorny wall. During the conversation, her eyes steadily adjusted and she took in more details of her surroundings. And what had now caught her eye was the slight trembling of the branches. A feeling deep inside her knew that this wasn't normal. This was… familiar, somehow.

"What are you?" She cursed herself for the smallness of her voice.

The green in her eyes seemed to pin her down. And Elsa could do nothing but stare back. After those long moments had past, Elsa's jaw would soon drop from what she would witness.

Breaking eye contact, the woman raised a hand to the ice-sprinkled thorns. At the touch, a wave of green traveled slowly through the connecting branches, melting the last of the cold and blooming flowers. Red roses unfurled themselves before Elsa's shocked gaze. But what made her jaw dropped was that some of them continued to form.

The waving leaves rolled up and lush petals folded in on themselves until they took flight one by one.

_Butterflies._

The delicate designs fluttered through the air in a sacred dance. Stunned into silence, Elsa neither noticed the growing warmth in the air nor flinch at the slight brushes of lush petals upon her cheeks. The smell of roses flooded her senses as the flora creatures flew without a care in the world around her. Many landed back on the branches that they had formed from while a few landed on the pale woman's arms and shoulders, now slowing their wings' fluttering into a halt.

Elsa was too immersed in awe to notice the red haired woman coming closer. A chuckle rang out as a slim finger under her chin closed her mouth with a small clink of teeth. She just could not stop staring, but she tried her hardest to hear the words that were being spoken to her.

"My name is Anna and I'm a lot like you," the warm smile that accompanied the sentence seared underneath her skin. The same heat tingled in her hand as a tanned hand gripped her own pale one. Elsa didn't have the will to fight Anna's pull as they began to walk pass the thorns. But his time, the sharp defenses did not reform back again. Instead they slid out through a previously unnoticed open window and shut behind them.

With the tangled growth out of her way, she saw that she really was in her room. The fireplace was lit and more warmth embraced her being. It was all so much that it dazed her. Enough to numbly be walked passed a brawny, dark-skinned man and be seated at a chair near the fireplace. Only a deeper and heartier chuckle brought her out of the daze.

"Honestly, I dhink I handled de truth better dhan dis poor Queen is."

"Hush up, Crab. I know you didn't forget that you fainted right off the damned ship when you figured it out. I had to fish out of those waters myself," the curt reply made the muscular man appeared to blush at his place next to her bed. She would had been paying more attention if she hadn't spotted Olaf resting peacefully on it.

She jumped to her feet and prepared to rush to his side, if it weren't for the crippling bolt of pain. She would have collapse if not for slender arms catching her. Her head fit exactly into a crook of a slender neck as warm hands encircled her.

"Steady, my Queen." And oddly, she listened as she instantly relaxed and allowed herself to be carried in those arms. She stayed still for the hands that brushed through her blond tresses and for the voice whispering in her ears. She felt so suddenly calm. It was like floating in rose scented clouds. She wished she could stay forever.

_This is so nice. So calm._

Yet again, the voice began to echo in her ears tempting her back to sleep.

"Everything's going to be fine. You're safe and your family is safe. Remember me when you wake up again."

Arctic eyes closed at the feeling of lips against her forehead. And the sound of a beating heart lulled her into sweet unconsciousness.

* * *

"…I know I was bad, but de Queen looked like she was half faint dhere for a moment."

Anna couldn't stop the bit of guilt that gnawed at her conscious at how true the words were.

_She's bruised to hell and exhausted. She needs the rest. And having a midnight conversation isn't going to help her. _

She let that logic smooth out her knotted brows as she tucked the now sleeping Queen back into bed and shifted Olaf ever so carefully back into his sister's side.

"Well, she was drugged. I can do that with the essence of certain flowers. And don't you start looking at me like that," she could feel his eyes on her, "because you were right. She is half faint from exhaustion from this hell of a day. We can wait to talk after the sunrises and she gets a good sleep."

Turning back to the annoyed looking Sebastian, he seemed to have more to say, but was interrupted by a knock at the door.

"Be a dear and answer that." She taunted him in a sickly sweet voice.

As she swiftly made the vines into tourniquets for Elsa's deeper bruises, she heard the most unmanly squeak come from behind her. Sebastian had just fell back on his rump after having his first meeting with Marshmallow. His gob-smacked expression was hilarious to Anna as Sebastian stared at the monstrously sized beast slink through the doorway.

The snow and ice compacted upon itself as to allow the large ice beast to squeeze through the door. Anna had to hold back a laugh at how much like a cat that Marshmallow was shaped like. A snow white kitten with saber teeth squeezing through doorways. Sebastian was still sitting on the floor as Marshmallow padded off to the bed.

"It's rude to stare, Sea-Crab." She just couldn't get enough of teasing the poor, unfortunate man. The sly look on her face gave her away.

"You knew that thing was there, didn't you?" At the deadpanned expression on his face, Anna was unable to stop the burst of laughter. And she couldn't stop laughing as the sweet sound rang against the storm outside.

"Oh, shut up."

* * *

**AN: A nice little half meeting before the girls get together at last. OH! And I completely forgot about Marshmallow's humongous size and how he was suppose to fix through doors. Snow can be all fluffy, but I made Marshmallow have the ability to expand or contract his form at will. **

**Also, who else thinks that Anna is just bad ass? I just love expanding on her power. Don't worry, I'll get to the ice stuff too. But, I'll need explain everything in time. ;) Oh, and the expression cat's tongue is a saying that someone is really picky or someone who can't eat spicy food. Kind of like Sebastian. **

**Anywho, comment, concerns, and informed critiques are always welcomed. So, until next time, Au revoir.**

**HAPPY THANKSGIVINGS TO ALL AND TO ALL A GOOD NIGHT! ;)**


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